The Price of Freedom
by bluekali
Summary: Something was amiss, and he didn't like it one bit. If he had half a brain, Inuyasha probably would've left the woman to whatever fate the gods had decided for her and took his ass back to patrolling his father's lands. But his weak human blood had him rooted to the spot, and he knew that he couldn't leave a defenseless woman to fend for her self.
1. Chapter 1

Inuyasha stood on the outskirts of the abandoned village. He cast a worried glance at the midday sun as he felt his yoki began to fade and cursed his weak human blood. The new moon was approaching, and his instincts warned him that he should probably return to his camp and stay low for the night.

Instead of following his gut, he made his way carefully through the village and repressed a suspicious growl as he paused at the paddy rice fields where several upturned carts lay amidst broken farmers tools cast idly aside. It was as if the inhabitants were in the middle of going about their daily routines in one moment, and in the next moment they all got up in a mass exodus and left. At least, that's what his nose told him. His ears perked up at the faint sound of carrion crows cawing hungrily and gathering for a feast in the distance, and his lip curled in disgust.

 _I smell trouble_. His mind raced, and he sprinted towards the shore while keeping a tight grip on tessaiga. The stench hit him first nearly causing him to double over as he covered his nose and mouth with the voluminous sleeve of his robe. The pesky carrion crows were tearing into the carcass of a slayed oni with gusto, and Inuyasha had to bite his bottom lip to force down bile.

What he saw next caused his spine to stiffen, as he rubbed his eyes in disbelief but when he lowered his hands he saw a human woman who was crucified to a crude wooden post. _What in the fifth hells?_ Inuyasha furrowed his brows in consternation, he had heard strange tales about human sacrifices but never had the luxury to witness one firsthand.

His nose told him that she was still alive, her hands and feet were bound together, and she wore the formal attire of a priestess. He wondered how she had survived the attack of an oni and every other demon in the vicinity. She was unconscious, and he could smell by the sour odor of her blood that she was seriously injured.

"Hey, sleeping beauty, are you alive?" He tried to gently wake her and raised a cautious hand and tried to untie the ropes binding her arms and legs. Instead he came up against a barrier and got the shock of his life as the force of the holy barrier sent him reeling back 50 yards.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed more out of shock as pain lanced through his side causing his vision to blur so much so that he had to use his sword to help him stand. Once the shock wore off, he slowly got to his feet, spat a wad of blood and swiped angrily at his mouth.

Something was amiss, and he didn't like it one bit. If he had half a brain, Inuyasha probably would've left the woman to whatever fate the gods had decided for her and took his ass back to patrolling his father's lands. But his weak human blood had him rooted to the spot, and he knew that he couldn't leave a defenseless woman to fend for herself.

He snapped out of his dark musings as he sensed a spike of malicious yoki coming from the sea, as the waves grew larger and crashed ominously against the shore. His hackles rose, and he readied his sword as the waters gurgled violently. Inuyasha stood to his full height and let out a warning growl as an ugly serpentine demon rose from the depths of the sea.

"You've got to be shitting me." He muttered to himself.

The demons red eyes glowered hungrily as its eyes locked on the helpless woman. It had eight-forked heads and a forked tail, with the mass of its slimy body covered in moss, and with more speed than the half demon would give the creature credit for, the serpent sprung straight for its prey.

"Not so fast ugly." Inuyasha landed in its path, intercepting the gaping maws intended to swallow the woman whole, barrier be damned. The demon bit down on tessaiga instead, while its several other snapping heads hissed and lunged at the half demon. Cursing blackly, Inuyasha was forced to free his sword and retreat in defense, as he sized up his enemy.

"Out of the way half breed! Don't you know that I, Orochi, am the ruler of these seas? And from your stench you are the son of that wretched Dog, are you not? Forfeit your hand and leave my lands and I will spare your life." The demon rasped with a heightened sense of self-importance that made Inuyasha scoff in disgust. He was surprised that this demon knew who he was given the barrenness of these lands.

"You sure do talk a lot for a sea worm," Inuyasha chuckled dryly, and hefted his sword on his shoulder with confidence. "I didn't know vermin went around calling themselves lords of the sea, you can fool the humans, but you won't fool me. Whatever business you have with this woman, you'll settle it with me." He didn't care if the humans occupying the abandoned village had meant to sacrifice the wench to this youkai. If it was one thing that Inuyasha hated, it was the unwarranted slaughtering of women and children and there was no negotiating around that.

"I will make you suffer, insolent brat! and then I will delight in that wretched human even more." The demon wasted no more time and charged with all eight heads spitting venom at the smug half demon. Tessaiga pulsed as an unfamiliar blue light enveloped the sword, and Inuyasha looked down at the blade for a split second before he narrowly dodged a shower of venom that melted the ground. _Huh? What is it?_ His nose picked up a shift in the winds scent, as his instincts told him to strike _now_.

He lifted the glowing sword above his head, and with a grunt brought the blade down and unleashed a whirlwind of energy that engulfed Orochi in a blinding light as the demons enraged screams pierced the darkening sky. Chunks of the demon's carcass rained down on him and he grimaced where a splay of the serpent's blood soaked his robes and got into his hair.

"What the hell was that?" He flickered Orochi's blood of his blade and squinted at the blade that gleamed innocently. In all the years that he had wielded his father's fang, it had never done that. He huffed impatiently and filed the new information away in his memory and resolved to harangue the wizened swordsmith who had forged the blade.

Slowly, he turned to the woman. _Somehow, I feel like this is all her fault_. What was supposed to be a simple border patrol was turning out to be a pain in the ass. He didn't have time for mysteries or playing hero. He needed to get back to securing the borders and making sure that his late father's allies were still loyal, especially with the threat of war looming on the horizon with the belligerent human lords.

 _Come on tessaiga I need your help. The sooner I'm done with this mess, the better I'll feel_. The sword acquiesced as a faint red glow engulfed the mighty fang and he sliced through the priestess's barrier with ease.

He flexed his claws and made quick work of the ropes binding her hands and feet as he wrinkled his nose at the stink of festering wounds. _She won't survive with these injuries, she needs a healer._

He understood now that the barrier was probably the woman's last resort to protect herself from swarms of blood thirsty demons, and despite his irritation he was impressed as he slowly took in the multitudes of demon carcasses that littered the rocky plateau. He brushed her cheek noting the deathly pallor of her skin and tapped her roughly. _Come on, don't die on me._

He repeated the rough treatment until she groaned softly, and suddenly without any warning, violent spasms racked her whole body as she shot up in pain and fright. He gripped her harder to stop her from injuring herself, as the woman began thrashing as her fight or flight response kicked in and he felt helpless to alleviate her distress.

He tensed as he felt a spark of her spiritual powers brush up against his yoki, but the woman was too weak to defend herself and he let out a breath that he didn't realize he had been holding in.

For a brief second, she opened her glassy eyes and looked right through him causing him to freeze as a look of pure terror wrapped her countenance and a string of words passed from her lips.

"Please…don't hurt them." She managed to rasp out as she gripped the front of his robes. He furrowed his brows at the quiet desperation in her voice as his mind begin to sluggishly connect the dots _. Could she be talking about the inhabitants of this village?_

"Relax, I'm not going to hurt anyone." Something in his voice must've quieted her fight or flight response because in the next moment the spasms were over, and she slumped unconscious in his arms. He inhaled shallowly through his nose, and exhaled in relief.

Inuyasha looked pensively at the sky as he felt his demon blood slowly receding. Carefully, he hefted the woman bridal style noticing that she barely weighed anything. _I still don't like this one bit_. His mind whispered as he began trekking in the opposite direction of his camp. He still had a couple of hours of daylight left and he knew that he would get answers sooner or later.

* * *

Jinenji swept the veranda clean of the broken debris that the guest had left in their haste to get away from him and tried his best not to internalize the reoccurring thought that there was something irrevocably wrong with him or that the whole ordeal was somehow his fault.

After the accident, when their farm had burned, Ma decided that to keep a roof over their heads they would have to make some sacrifices which resulted in Jinenji laboriously refashioning their humble abode into a guest lodge.

Business was slow, but on nights like this where the winter chill took stray travelers by surprise they would get a trickle of desperate couples or worn-down journeymen who couldn't afford the more luxurious inns at the village center. They would be content to have a hot meal and a bed for the night until he made his presence known to attend to their needs in his earnest attempt to be a good host.

One good look at his equine like face paired with his hulking muscular stature would cause them to go taking off into the night no matter how dangerous it was for travelers in these necks of the woods.

Sighing in defeat, the towering half demon paused to mourn the shattered antique teapot that a frightened woman tried to break over his head when he tried to politely let her know that the bathhouse would be closed for the night.

He felt that it would be better off if he didn't show his face. His ears perked up at the sound of an approaching visitor, and he paused at the familiar yoki, although it was faint.

"Ma, I think we have another guest."

An old woman came out, smoking a silver pipe and her eyes squinted in the darkness and widened a fraction in recognition as she caught a glimpse of a flash of red and the familiar princely robes. She gave her son a toothy smile.

"Why if it isn't Lord Inu no Taisho's brat, I wonder what he's doing so far out in the country? Boy, go air out the guest beds and put some tea on. That brat doesn't show his hide around these parts unless he's battered and banged up. I suspect he's gotten himself in trouble." Jinenji sulked back into their home, as he left his mother to smoke her pipe and greet their guest for the late evening.

Inuyasha advanced carefully down the rocky landscape, and tried his best not to jostle the woman in his arms. It had taken all his strength to maneuver them through the dense dead woods and all his senses to steer them away from trouble. He wore a grim expression as he made his way to the crones hut and her half demon brood.

The old woman was already on the veranda when he arrived, wearing a smug expression. She quirked a brow at the human woman draped in his fire rat robe, and she didn't need the light from a lamp to see that the woman was deathly ill.

"Old woman, I need you to heal her."

"Hmph. Is that anyway to greet an old woman? After all this time, and you're still a rude punk." Ma blew a cloud of smoke in the dog hanyou's direction, and watched in fascination as the young man's half demon features retracted and the billowy white hair turned midnight black. Fatigued golden eyes darkened to a pensive violet, and the growl emitting from the half demon no longer carried a menacing bite.

"You travelled on the night of the new moon?" A frown creased her brow as she wondered what the woman in his arms meant to him. For all the years that she had known the young lord, she knew that he never exposed himself on his most vulnerable nights.

He did something that he normally would never do, but he was desperate, and time was of the essence. The woman's breathing was shallow, he took a risk in bringing her here, but he knew that he wouldn't be able to heal her on his own and the old woman and her son were healers of reputable standing. Slowly, he got to his knees and bowed his head.

"Please. She needs you." He begged earnestly, and Ma looked incredulously at the bowing half demon prince, and pinched her cheek to make sure that she wasn't imagining things.

"She must be special if you're kneeling like a commoner and asking me," Ma mused cryptically, as she shook her head in disbelief, "Come now child, Jinenji has fixed dinner tonight and you both look worse for wear." He followed her into the house and followed her instructions to lay the woman on the clean bedding while Jinenji went to the back of the hut to gather some herbs so that Ma could brew a poultice.

"Friend of yours?" Ma asked with a conversational tone, as she poured the hanyou turned human a cup of tea while she tried her best not to pry into the young lord's affairs. Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest as he averted his gaze.

"Not even close. More like a casualty in some strange human sacrifice. She was tied to a stake in an abandoned human settlement. I couldn't leave her." He surprised himself on how much he chose to divulge.

"Poor thing. There's still a lot of stupid gits around here that are superstitious enough to murder their own kin over foolishness. It's a shame, but you'll be surprised how common it is. Why, just the other day one of the village women was telling me about her distant cousin who was to be sacrificed to Inari because of a bad crop. A bunch of idiots I tell you! But war and suffering does that to people. Makes us afraid of our own shadows." Ma sighed deeply as she fed some tinder to the fire and then scooted closer to the strange woman, gingerly brushing a tangle of hair out of the priestess's face.

"She's certainly beautiful, she reminds me of a bit of myself when I was her age." Ma smiled as she remembered herself at the prime of her youth, and felt a familiar warmth warm her old bones as she rolled up her sleeves and prepared herself to clean the woman's wounds.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, and for once he didn't have the energy to come up with a snide retort. He had planned to leave her here, but fatigue settled in his bones and his stomach rumbled in protest.

"Jinenji made some fine rabbit stew, you're a capable boy so you can help yourself." She waved towards the far corner of the room where there was a pot of something that smelled delicious set aside, causing his mouth to water.

"Old woman, has the headman of your village received any refuges in the last couple of days?"

"That old git? No, in these days that fool has been too afraid to take in anymore casualties from the neighboring villages. We haven't received any refugees in a while, they all probably went to the northern provinces since there's more security. Though I haven't heard anything from the grapevine from our neighboring towns. Why do you ask?"

"That's strange. I found a village and there was not a trace of anyone. I even tried tracking them on foot and lost the scent trail half way. I figured that there was an attack, something that would've caused panic. But it just seems like they upped and vanished." Inuyasha offered as he filled his bowl with another hefty serving of the delicious stew and dug in with gusto.

"Strange indeed. Jinenji and I have been receiving the bulk of strangers since the price of goods were driven up everywhere else. We haven't seen anything unusual for the last couple of days either." She paused, and rewet her cloth in the basin filled with water and with deft hands she unfastened the closures of the woman's robes, while taking inventory on the herbs that she would have to use. At the mention of the other half demon, Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably.

"Is he settling down okay in these parts?" Ma raised a sharp eyebrow at the young lord's casual inquiry. She hadn't thought the half demon prince had cared about her boy.

"I'm afraid not. Moving closer to the southern border seemed like a good idea in theory. I knew that it would be safer, the locals don't trouble us much, but it's been hard keeping afloat. We haven't managed to get much business because all the travelers get one good look at my sweet Jinenji and hightail it out of here."

"Feh. Humans are like that. That doesn't surprise me." Inuyasha frowned as he set his bowl aside, and scooted back against the wall.

"You know, you should visit us more. Jinenji misses you and he could really use the company." Ma began lightly.

"Duty calls." Inuyasha interrupted quickly, sensing that the old bat would try to guilt trip him. She made a noncommittal sound, choosing to let him off the hook.

Ma paused and regarded her handiwork, pursing her lips. "I'm going to need to open this wound, the poor girl looks like she's been dragged from hell and back. I wonder what this girls story is?" Ma mused softly, before beckoning Inuyasha over.

"Hold her down, this isn't going to be pleasant." Cautiously Inuyasha complied, he stared at the woman's face free of blood and acting on their own accord his eyes trailed down her body as he appraised her soft curves. He caught himself as his eyes lingered a little too long, and he gritted his teeth. _This is not the time to be checking her out._

Ma heated up the knife until it glowed red and she got her needle and thread ready. She took a deep breath and nodded once to the demon lord who held the woman's shoulders down as she pressed the hot blade on a ghastly wound at the priestess's left ribcage.

On cue, the woman shot up as the knife contacted her skin, and Inuyasha clenched his jaw at the pained sobs that wracked her body. A memory came to him unbidden, it was one of his early childhood memories when his mother was alive. She had fallen sick after a torrential storm and was too weak to travel to the village healer, so she had instructed him on how to make a putrid tea that had been passed down from his mother's line.

He caught himself brushing the woman's hair, like he would brush his mother's hair when she was bedridden and as soon as he realized what he was doing he recoiled as if he was burned.

"What are you sniveling about? She's a tough girl, she'll live." Ma stuck her head outside of the small room and hollered for her son. "Jinenji, where are you with those herbs? Come on boy, we don't have all night."

"I don't snivel." Inuyasha flushed in embarrassment but Ma waved at him in a bemused fashion.

Slowly, the lumbering half demon made his way to the room with a satchel of herbs. Shyly, he bowed to acknowledge Inuyasha, who was still holding the woman whose features were pinched, and her laborious breathing filled the hut.

"Sorry Ma, I couldn't find your mortar, so I had to grind everything by hand. I also needed some Milk Thistle and had to go foraging."

"Foolish boy! I told you never to go into the woods by yourself, you could've been hurt." The old woman shook her head in dismay, as her protectiveness kicked in and she took the proffered satchel and begin to create a thick paste as her son seemed to sag under her rebukes.

"Well, she's stronger than she looks. Our mystery woman had mortal wounds that would have killed an ordinary human." Ma chuckled dryly, and brought her attention on the task at hand as she began to apply the salve on her patient.

"Thank you." Inuyasha bowed his head, and Ma hooted loudly startling him.

"Why if only Izayoi could see you now." She grinned cheekily, and he flushed at the mention of his late mother.

"She would be proud you know, proud that her son has chosen to follow the path of his father." Ma offered as she wrapped the last of the bandages and applied the last of the salve. Inuyasha shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his late parents. He gently removed himself from the woman's side, relieved that she had fallen asleep.

"Yeah, if you say so." He wasn't really in a reminiscent spirit, and felt that it was time for him to retire for the night. He would figure out what to do with the woman in the morning.


	2. Chapter 2

In her dreams, it always begins the same. Her old home has come back from the ashes. Somehow, she's not surprised by this and she walks up the long stretch of stairs to where she hears her grandfather praying in the temple.

She could hear and feel that voice again. Yet how many years has it been since her grandfather passed? She remembers him in his prime before the accident. Her favorite times would be when he would take her along with him on his walks through the redwoods and regal her with stories from the past.

On the eve of her fifteenth birthday, grandfather had been adamant about keeping up with their morning ritual and he exuded an air of nervousness as he looked far into the horizon as if something would come riding out of the hills.

"Remember granddaughter, there is no such thing as good or evil. Once courage, friendship, wisdom and love are balanced within the soul, it is your will that determines how you live."

He looked down on her and she could not understand the urgency in his voice, he had been giving her impromptu lessons all summer and she hid her displeasure with a mask of acquiescence.

If he only knew how lonely she felt. She did not want anything to do with the past and did not understand his preoccupation with things long dead and gone.

Her grandfather had always said that the future was not a straight line. There were many different pathways. An errant breeze rustled the leaves of the trees, as her grandfather's voice faded into a whisper. _You must try to decide the future for yourself_.

She decided secretly that she would listen to her heart, and her heart wanted an ordinary life. She could still imagine her grandfather's sorrowful countenance as he tried to warn her about the future. After the accident, nothing was the same. When he left the world of the living, she learned quickly that she no longer had the freedom to determine her own destiny.

She knows that it is a dream because she could not feel the threads of fate ensnaring her, those tangled threads that cannot be undone.

In the distance, she could hear the thundering of hooves. A handsome lord from neighboring lands has come to seek her grandfather's assistance on a pressing spiritual matter and the whole village is caught up in fearful speculation. She remembers grandfathers hushed angry voice, as he stands his ground.

"Lord Kagewaki, it simply cannot be done! The shikon jewel is a myth, a fairy tale to get the children to behave. Why, it's been years since the jewel disappeared and we've all been better off without it." Grandfather slams his fist on the table and causes the decorative crystal pot to shatter, as he shoos away a servant who bends to clean up the mess.

Lord Kagewaki doesn't react right away. Instead he takes his time savoring his tea, and peering outside into the stone garden. From her post behind the aged sycamores, she is taken back by the handsome lord, who has asked grandfather for a terrible thing.

When he returns his attentive gaze to the stubborn old priest, something in his eyes have shifted and deadened. He is no longer the amicable lord who has come seeking spiritual assistance or obligations of fidelity.

"I have traveled far, through perilous lands and have sacrificed a great deal to extend my protection to your people. You and your granddaughter are the last of your line, are you not? Your lineage has had the most contact with the jewel for centuries and from acquired knowledge, I know what can and cannot be done. Don't play me for a fool old priest. In exchange for my protection, I require something in return." His voice left no room for negotiation, and grandfather began to sweat at the mention of his granddaughter.

"Leave these grounds at once!" In the dream, grandfathers voice is full of terror and taut with the fear of some unnameable thing that has summoned the flames that begin as a spark of shimmering light.

Kagewaki chuckles darkly as he rises, using his height to his advantage.

"You leave me no choice, I will take it by force and then I will take everything you know and cherish away from you. Starting with your people's trust. You will rue the day you defied me." The lord is impervious to the flames as they grow and feed off his malicious intent.

Smoke filled her lungs and she could not speak, desperately she reached for her grandfather as she felt those red threads of fate entangling her. She could only watch as angry, helpless tears streamed down her face as the inferno hissed and engulfed her childhood home.

It was the last time that she saw her grandfather alive.

* * *

Kagome awakened clutching her chest, as she felt the jarring sensation of having ice water running through her veins. Slowly coming out of her dream state, she rubbed the weariness from her eyes and looked down at the clean sleeping robe as she inhaled the pungent smell of witch hazel applied liberally to her wounds.

"God, that smells awful." She pinched her nose and tried to lie back down to get some more rest, and suddenly without warning she remembers as her eyes snap wide open. This time she looks at her hands, she revels in the freedom of movement and winces at the angry red welts on her wrist.

"I'm…alive?" Her heart begins to thunder loudly in her chest, as the flash of the handsome lord's face from her dreams caused her to shudder involuntarily. She notices that someone has placed a variety of pelts of fur by her side for extra warmth and she brings it to her cheek and shivers despite the warmth.

Slowly she remembered, the memories clamored for attention one by one and she let out a pitiful sound that morphed into a pained high-pitched laugh, ending in dry heaved sobs. She was happy to be alive, but at the same time the loneliness returned twice fold and she wondered if she was better off as a sacrifice.

She had not dreamed of her grandfather in a very long time. After the house burned down, Lord Kagewaki had delivered on his promises. He razed the village in search of something that her grandfather had died protecting and when he couldn't find it he set his energy on twisting the hearts and minds of her people, and planted a seed of doubt and fear in their minds.

With the old priest gone they had become as desperate as a pack of hungry wolves, and deep down she couldn't blame them.

The war had reached home, and she could only stand idly by as the threat of annihilation brought the worst out of her people.

When she refused to take on the responsibilities of the shrine, they had turned on her as well. Her mind began racing ahead of her, and she tried to convince herself in earnest that she could not blame them even as a familiar stab of resentment coiled in her gut.

 _If only grandfather was alive…_ She stopped herself from thinking the thought by forcibly pinching herself. It had been three years since that time and she could not afford to allow old ghosts to haunt her, not now.

"Okay, so this dream is solid." She uncurled from herself, and used the wall for support as her knees shook from misuse. From the looks of it there were several more hours until dawn. She winced, clutching her side as a stab of pain made her vision swim and she tried to quietly exit the room.

She was free. Someone or something had managed to get through the barrier. She remembered a flash of red, and a curtain of silver. When she tried to prod further, she came up against the blackness of her mind. Someone or something had tended to her wounds and she wondered if they had intended to keep her alive.

"Demons tending to your wounds? Come on girl, don't be so stupid" She mumbled roughly to herself as she limped and paused by the firepit that was dying down. She found an empty satchel, and with a small stab of guilt, she stealthily scouted for supplies as quickly as possible. The young woman found some dried rations and a cooking knife which she stuffed hastily into the sack.

With a small smile of gratitude, she found her priestess robe freshly washed and drying by the dim fire. She quickly shimmied out of the sleeping robe and into the familiar garments which were still slightly damp.

Kagome made it as far as the veranda when a shadow twice her size intercepted her, and she whirled with the cooking knife as a strange demon stood blocking her path.

"Miss, are you sure that you're well enough to be up? Ma said that it would take at least a week for you to fully recover." She regarded the demon with solemn eyes, and noticed his nervousness. For some reason he averted his eyes away from her and looked down at the ground.

He smelled of the earth and sweetgrass, and strangely the demon reminded her of home. With a deep breath she lowered her guard and put the knife away.

"How did you break the barrier, demon? Do you know who I am?" Her voice was deadly quite as she congratulated herself on her composure. The demon simply shook his head as he held his hands in a symbol of peace, and she sighed in exasperation and changed her tactics. _Interrogation will be useless on this oaf, I don't have time for this._

"I only know that you are Lord Inuyasha's charge, and that he saved you from a terrible fate." Jinenji drawled out, and something about the slow measured pace of his voice set her on edge.

"Look, I should be fine. I'm afraid that I'm a long way from home and I'd like to go back." He seemed surprised by her mention of home and she sensed that he wanted to ask her more, but for whatever reason he remained silent. She sighed, and mentally chided herself for being hostile to the person who saved her life.

"Forgive my manners, I'm Kagome. You must've been the one to tend to my injuries and for that I'm indebted. But I'm afraid that I must be going now." She said curtly, and she didn't wait for a response.

Kagome limped away from the small house and grit her teeth as the pain became a consistent throb. But the pain was a motivator, it made her realize that she was alive. That despite everything that she had survived.

She had survived and Lord Kagewaki didn't get his wish in the end. For so long she had dreamed that she could start over, that she could finally be free to choose. She would never become a sacrificial lamb ever again.

The young woman stopped in her tracks as the past threatened to catch up with her. She was so consumed by her thoughts that she had wandered into the dead woods with only a cooking knife.

"Damn it." She pressed a hand against her temple, and searched the area for yoki. It took her longer than usual to stretch her senses, but she found nothing out of the ordinary. Only a few low-level yokai that were circling the outskirts of the territory.

She felt the same gentle brush of yoki against her senses, and when she whirled she realized that the lumbering yokai had been following her. Kagome frowned in annoyance and disapproval, as he seemed to shrink under her gaze.

"What do you want?"

"I'm sorry m-miss. I was told by Lord Inuyasha to watch over you and you're heading in unmarked lands. It's dangerous in these woods, we've had quite a few accidents"

"The last time I checked, I was nobody's charge." Kagome let the bitterness seep into her voice as she regarded the strange demon with her hands on her hips. She didn't know who this Lord Inuyasha was, and she didn't care. No one would hold her against her will ever again.

"L-lord Inuyasha is the one who s-saved you from being s-sacrificed to the terrible Orochi, who is notorious in these parts for enslaving and destroying entire villages." Jinenji managed to stutter out as he was not accustomed to having such a long conversation with another human outside of his mother.

He really hoped that the girl would listen to reason, she had managed to reopen her wounds and her scent would attract the low-level demons that lord Inuyasha hadn't managed to drive out.

Kagome held her head as her vision swam. Her mind flashed back to the village, Lord Kagewaki had condemned them to suffer and after he razed the village his soldiers retreated.

Orochi was the name of the sea kami that convinced her people that if they offered him a sacrifice, he would spear the villagers. They found out too late that he was only a blood thirsty demon pretending to be a false god. She didn't even know if her sacrifice had been in vain, and now she was even robbed of revenge _. I have nothing, not even anger_. She clenched her fist and didn't realized that the demon was still talking to her, trying to convince her to turn back.

"Miss?"

"I'll go back with you." The least she could do was thank this Lord Inuyasha. _And then I'll go back to Hokkaido and see what has become of my people._ "But first, can you help me find a river, I could really use a bath." She added with false chipper and it was Jinenji's turn to give the woman a strange look.

"Ma actually discovered some hot springs not too far back from the garden." Jinenji offered, and he flushed at the brilliant smile he received from the young woman that made her look much younger. He decided that he liked her smile, and that he would give anything to keep her happy.

* * *

Inuyasha had barely been able to get any sleep. Instead his transformation had taken him by surprise as he awoke feeling restless. He had found a nearby stream and decided to give himself a quick bath, or risk stinking like sea worm for the rest of the day.

He was anxious about today, mostly about facing the woman whose life he had save, but he would be damned if he ever admitted it out loud.

He blamed it on his stupid human emotions as memories of her pained filled face flooded his vision and his instincts roared to protect her _. Don't be stupid. I barely even know the wench and the quicker I get rid of her the better._

His ears flickered at the sound of human footfalls, and he growled in warning. His sword was on the river bank with his robes, but he could take whatever decided to ambush him while he was bathing.

"Boy? Where are you boy!" It was the old woman, who came out from the bright rhododendron bushes, looking more haggard than usual.

"Oh, thank god it's you." She rushed to the stream and Inuyasha sunk lower and scowled at the invasion of privacy. "Jinenji is missing and so is the young woman you brought in last night. I thought that he was just getting kindle for breakfast, but it's almost time to open at the market and I haven't seen hide nor hair of the boy."

He gave her a pointed glare, before she got the message and slowly turned away as the half demon made his way back to the shore and pulled on his clothing and jammed tessaiga in his belt.

His nose told him that the old woman was right. He had been so wrapped in his thoughts that he didn't realize that both Jinenji's and the woman's scent were at least several hours old.

"That's not all." Ma began once the young lord was fully clothed and she turned around.

"There's been an accident at the headman's manor, there was a landslide and the headman's boy might still be buried underneath. One of the servants came huffing and puffing at my door this morning asking for Jinenji's assistance."

"They sure have a lot of nerve, come on then old woman, climb on." He lowered on his haunches as he allowed the old woman to climb on his back, and he took a moment to track the pair. He easily detected Jinenji's scent, and paused as he took in the second scent of the woman free of illness and death.

"Found them." He bounded up in the canopy of trees in one great spring, and headed to the heart of the dead woods.

* * *

Kagome's laughter flooded the swampy meadow as the morning chill caused her cheeks to redden. After her luxuriating bath, Jinenji had offered to show her one of his favorite spots and she had agreed after she had her fill of dry rations that she had swiped from the old hut. Her chilly persona had melted away, and she felt for the first time a lightness of spirit.

"What's that one over there called?" She pointed above their heads, where a yellow brown bird was searching for insects in a white ash tree. Jinenji followed her line of vision and paused in thought.

He quietly pulled out his satchel and retrieved a heavy stack of waxed rice papers that was bound together with a woman's hair tie, and shuffled through a variety of ink paintings where he had been keeping track of all the new species he stumbled upon.

"I don't think I have that one." Jinenji admitted easily, "But we can come up with something." He sat down and begin to make careful strokes on the delicate paper and she watched in rapt fascination.

She had never in her life known a demon to be an avid birdwatcher, and found it even more strange a demon who painted and gardened on his free time. She smiled to herself and stretched her limbs and was content to watch him create his masterpiece.

"When did you find this place?"

"I was being chased by some human's a while back and needed a place to hide and I found this place by accident. The low-lying swamps make it dangerous for humans traveling on foot, so it became my secret hideout." Something about what Jinenji had said had made her curious, she studied him as he painted and took in the bulbous unblinking blue eyes and her eyes trailed down to the array of scars lining his tanned arms.

"You're a half demon." She said as an afterthought and Jinenji froze at his companion's admission as she looked like she had finally solved a puzzle.

"Does that bother you?"

She shrugged. She had lived her life in fear of demons, but once her grandfather passed she was treated like a lesser being. The villagers feared and revered her because she was the last of her line, and their fear had led them to do terrible things. She looked down at her wrist, which were still red from where she was bound by ropes.

"Not really. I don't know enough about your kind to have that kind of opinion. Besides you've been nothing but kind to me. It's been a long time since I've felt this free." She admitted slowly, as she hugged her knees to her chest and closed her eyes. Jinenji stared in a bewildered fashion, as he felt his heart thunder in his chest.

Gone was the tough woman who had pulled a knife on him and who reacted like a wounded animal. He raised his hand, wanting to comfort her but instead he trembled as he contrasted his unsightly lumbering hand to the delicate woman besides him and he stopped himself.

He wondered what or who could possibly bring harm to someone as lovely as Kagome. His curiosity got the best of him, and he forgot about his painting and turned to her.

"Miss Kagome? Why did those humans leave you like they did?"

She raised her head, as tears spiked her lashes and he recoiled from her, thinking that he did something wrong.

"Please forgive me, I didn't mean to.." Jinenji begin to apologize in earnest as shame made his face heat up.

"No, don't apologize. It's not your fault." She wiped her tears and berated herself for being so weak, and for a long moment she didn't speak. An errant wind tugged at her robes and she closed her eyes and reveled in the soft caress.

"My grandfather always use to say that fear is the main source of superstition, and one of the main sources of human cruelty. Have you seen anything viler than the things people do when their backs are against the wall?" She asked cryptically, and Jinenji shook his head.

He knew from firsthand experience what humans were capable of when they were afraid, what they did to each other, what they did to themselves.

She didn't get to finish her thought, as a brush of yoki had her reaching for her knife.

"We have company." She frowned as she got to her feet and she squinted at the treetops as a bright red blur was free falling from the sky. She mustered a scream as she covered her head, as the blur landed softly on the ground with a soft thud.

"Miss Kagome, it's okay. It's only Lord Inuyasha and Ma, probably come to check on us since we've been gone so long." Jinenji offered as the woman slowly stood to her feet to regard the new visitors with suspicion and trepidation.

"Jinenji, where on earth have you been boy?" She watched as a stout old woman climbed down the demons back, and hobbled to Jinenji. "I was so worried; don't you care about an old woman's heart?" Ma berated him, as Jinenji scratched the back of his head.

"Aw, I'm sorry Ma. I lost track of the time. I wanted to take Miss Kagome to the bathhouse and one thing led to the next." At the soft admission, Ma whirled around sizing up the girl and with a soft humph, she strode up to the silent young woman and pointed an accusing finger in her face.

"And you, what do you think you're doing out of bed?" Ma saw that she had reopened her wounds and shook her head, clucking her tongue in disapproval. "Why, I reckon that you're as stubborn as Lord Inuyasha."

"E-excuse me?" Kagome felt her face grow hot as Inuyasha softly keh'd and crossed his arms over his chest, but otherwise he kept his mouth shut.

Kagome slowly connected the dots, as she looked to the old fussing woman to an embarrassed Jinenji, and back to the demon trying to look as uninvolved as possible.

"Forgive me for my manners, you must be Jinenji's caretaker, and he has told me so much about you." She thanked the woman humbly, and turned her attention to the demon lord and formally bowed.

"I am indebted to you, Lord Inuyasha." She gritted her teeth as she forced herself to thank them. Truly she was grateful, but deep down she wished that they hadn't involved themselves. The sooner she was away from this place the better and the safer that they would be.

"Stand up. You don't have to grovel and it's just Inuyasha." Inuyasha ordered flippantly and she slowly complied and tried not to stare. She was held captive by his eyes that had the same startling clarity as molten fire and when he raised a brow at her, she was forced to tear her gaze away with an embarrassed flush.

"Now that we're all acquainted, we need to get moving. There's trouble at that foolish Lords manor and time is of the essence. Poor Daichi, I hope the lad holds up. Jinenji since Lord Inuyasha is here, go to the garden and bring me my tools. Those idiots are a prideful lot, but I'm not so cold hearted to leave them to their own devices." Ma sighed, and looked pensive for a moment before turning her attention back on the young woman.

"Say girl, what did you say your name was?"

"Kagome."

"No surname, eh? Well I suppose that's not uncommon in these parts. Are those robes just for show or are you actually good for something?" Ma watched as the younger woman tried to keep her temper in check and clenched her fist.

"I grew up on a shrine. I was trained to fill in for my grandfather after he passed" She answered coolly, and Inuyasha snorted. He could smell that she was only telling half the truth. _Whatever. Let the wench keep her secrets._

Ma clapped her hands in delight.

"It's been so long since we've had a real priestess in the flesh. You sure you don't want to resettle here, you'll be compensated nicely."

"No thank you. I'll be glad to assist you, but I'm afraid that I have some unfinished business to attend to and won't be settling down anytime soon." She had to put some steel behind her voice, and the old woman backed down.

"What a shame, well, I guess it can't be helped. Come now children, we've wasted enough time as it is."


	3. Chapter 3

When the trio arrived at the headman's manor the scene wasn't pretty. The men had gone out to the harbor to trade with their neighboring villagers. The women were left behind, their faces grim and tight around the mouth as they tried unsuccessfully to dig out the remaining survivors.

"Out of the way, out of the way." Ma used her walking stick to push her way to the front of the crowd. The women exchanged knowing looks as they tried poorly to hide their contempt for the old woman who bore an abomination, but when they saw that she was flanked by one of Lord Dog's sons they grudgingly bowed and payed their respects.

"What happened here?" Inuyasha asked as he shifted impatiently from foot to foot. He could smell that there were several people trapped underneath, their vital signs faint. But something else bothered him, he sensed yoki but could not identify its source.

A young girl, threw herself prostate at his feet and he frowned in disgust.

"Lord Dog, thank goodness you're here! We were going about our daily business when the headmen's inn began to tremble. There was a mighty storm a fortnight ago, and then our village was hit by another disaster. We sent a messenger to let the men know, but no one has come to our aid." Inuyasha walked away from the groveling woman and bounded towards the mouth of the landslide and began clearing the rubble.

It seemed like he was at it for hours before he found the first victim. A servant girl, barely out of puberty. His ears flickered as he listened to her pulse, and heard a slow sluggish thumping of her heart that let him know that she was just barely alive.

"Hold on kid, don't die on me." He carefully carried her and prepared to leap up when something prickled at his consciousness. He peered into the darkness and inhaled deeply as the uneasy feeling made his gut tighten. He launched himself back above ground and laid the girl on the side where Ma and the woman rushed to her side.

"There's three more, but there buried deeper and I'm not sure if they're still alive." He admitted quietly. Kagome got up to where she was assisting the injured, and she peered down into the path that he cleared before turning to him with a worried expression.

"Inuyasha, there's something else down there and whatever it is it's moving fast." He was surprised and strangely pleased to hear her say his name without the honorific, but he knew that she was right. It was too risky for him to use his sword and threaten another landslide, but he wasn't afraid. Something in the woman's countenance shifted again, and she looked uneasy.

"Don't worry, the bastards good at hiding but it's probably one of those root yokai that like to make burrows in mountainous areas." He didn't know what compelled him, but he wanted to make her believe in his strength and he smirked when she offered him a relieved half smile.

"Please you must save my poor boy!" A plump woman rushed over to the pair and threw herself at Inuyasha's feet. He guessed that from her fine robes that she was the headman's wife, and later she had confirmed that the young girl was indeed one of her servants. Inuyasha never liked when humans threw themselves at his feet, especially when they whispered about his heritage when they thought that he couldn't hear them.

"Lady, I'll do my best, but I can't promise you anything." She began to break down in loud, unpleasant sobs that set his teeth on edge and rolled his shoulders as he worked to remove the rest of the rubble until he could make his way underground.

"Shit." He reached two of the three bodies, two of them were crushed under large boulders and he covered his nose at the smell of the dead bodies expelling the last of its waste. His ears perked up and he heard the unmistakable sound of crunching and he let out a warning growl. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness and he saw a flash of grisly teeth open and swallow a mangled human body.

"Show yourself." Inuyasha ordered as he flexed his claws and prepared to attack. The demon finished chewing, and swallowed its meal before it cast a baleful eye at the intruder who dared to interrupt it.

The demon gave an inhuman screech before charging at the half demon lord, who narrowly dodged a barrage of spikes that thudded against the cavern walls. Inuyasha dug his claws into his arm, and channeled his yoki into his claws and took his enemy by surprise when he retaliated with his blades of blood, and it narrowly dodged his attack.

"Feh. You're pathetic, you've been hiding out here and feeding off defenseless humans." Inuyasha goaded, and like a charm the demon charged at him and he smirked in anticipation, but suddenly mid charge it froze, and its tentacles quivered.

"Come on, I won't let you back down now." Inuyasha tried to egg it on, instead the demon shot right past him and was heading right up to the surface where the woman and children were waiting on him to retrieve the rest of their loved ones.

 _What's that son of a bitch up to?_ He cursed as he chanced a glance at the ground littered with human skull and he saw the severed head of the boy and he closed his eyes as a burst of anger propelled him.

He quickly trailed the beast, and knew that it was heading towards the surface and he scowled in aggravation as the walls and ground beneath him quaked. His eyes widened a fraction, as a violent quake followed suit which triggered a new landslide. The ground beneath his feet crumbled as he was plunged deeper into the darkness. The last thing that he remembered was the woman's face slicing through his consciousness as a slab of rocks and rubble rained down on his head and his world faded to black.

* * *

Kagome wiped her brow, as she helped Ma bring the frail girl back to the world of the living. She was still unconscious, but with her vital signs stabilized she would be okay. She gladly accepted the proffered water that one of the village woman handed to her. They were wary of her, and she heard their whispers without wanting to.

 _What's the priestess doing with the old crone, and the bastard Lord?_

 _Maybe she's conspiring with the demons. Nothing is what it should be these days._

 _Where did she say she came from?_

 _I believe the old crone said she was a traveling priestess. Hmph, no respectable priestess keeps the company of demons._

 _Maybe she has come to see the headman. There's been talk about a demon infestation not too far from here._

She gritted her teeth and tried to focus on the tangible. Ma had gone back to her hut to intercept Jinenji, to begin to prepare digging graves for those who did not survive. _What a bunch of ungrateful…_ She didn't get to finish that last thought, because suddenly the ground shook violently causing an uproar.

She cast a panicked glance at the path that Inuyasha had cleared, as the tunnel caved in and was swallowed by more rubble. _Inuyasha_! She thought frantically. Something else brushed at her consciousness as she cursed. Yoki. Her instincts were right, something besides the human survivors were trapped underground.

"Quick, get back to your huts. It isn't safe here." She warned the woman, who looked bewildered and terrified.

"You," She pointed to a young boy, "Get me a bow and quiver, now." She ordered, as the child scrambled from his mother's side to do as the priestess had asked, but it was too late. Something thrust from the ground showering her with rocks and debris.

A tangled beast with one menacing eye trained on her let out an inhuman screech as it began salivating. It ignored the chorus of screams and stampede of women grabbing their children and rushing to get to a safe place.

"Priestess, you possess the shikon of legend. You will hand it over and maybe I'll spare your life." Her eyes widened then narrowed. She hadn't heard of the shikon of legend, since her grandfather. _What the hell is it talking about? I don't have such a thing, and even if I did I'd never hand it over to the like of this demon._

"As if! how would a tumble weed like you know about it anyway?" She said with more confidence than she felt as she tried to buy herself some time. Kagome stood her ground even though her heart thundered in her chest, and she broke out in a cold sweat. She wasn't expecting the demon to laugh, making her skin crawl.

"I almost forgot how amusing mortals are. You can't fool me girl, but if you want to play tricks I'll swallow you along with the jewel!" She broke out in a dead run as the demon attempted to grab her with its tentacles. She ran in the opposite direction of where the woman and children were hiding and towards the dense woods.

Kagome yelped in fright as she narrowly dodged a barrage of spikes that sunk into a young elm tree, as she chanced a glance over her shoulders. The demon lashed out again and meant to strike her feet, but she used the adrenaline pumping in her blood to dodge and roll into a crouch as she reached inside of her robes for the cooking knife.

She charged her knife like she would charge an arrow and flung the blade with all her strength where it struck the beast in the center of its eye. The enraged screams of the demon caused it to lash out with another barrage of spikes as she dove for cover and tried in vain to catch her breathe.

"M-Miss?" Her eyes widened as the child she had sent of moments before stood shivering in the cold with wide frightened eyes, holding the bow a quiver she had asked for.

"What are you doing, get out of here!" She ordered, but it was too late. The demon sensing easy prey recovered and shot a tangle of roots that wrapped around the child's neck and dragged the boy's body in the dirt as he cried in fear. Kagome dived for the bow, her body taut with fear.

"Don't you dare." She warned through gritted teeth as she watched the boys face turn a deathly pallor as the demon tortuously played with its prey.

"If you value this child's life, then you will do exactly as I say." She knew the second she let her arrow loose that she would be forfeiting the child's life. And she felt angry tears spark her eyes as she lowered her bow. Suddenly, something barreled into the demon, causing it to lose its grip on the child.

"Leave them alone!" A familiar voice shot out, and she turned with grateful eyes as she saw Jinenji wearing an expression that she had never seen on his face as he wrestled with the demon.

"You dare interfere, you miserable half breed!" It wrapped its tentacles around Jinenji's massive neck, and used its advantage to send Jinenji reeling back as it unleashed another barrage of spikes. She quickly ran to the unconscious child and shielded him as a spike buried itself in her shoulder and she cried in pain. When the dust cleared she saw that Jinenji had taken the brunt of the attack, and he was bleeding badly.

The demon was laughing gleefully.

"Weakling! I've had enough of this, this ends now priestess!"

She didn't have time to react, as it shot a tangle of roots and entangled her in its grasp. She let out a wordless scream as the demon slowly squeezed the life out of her and she saw her life flash before her eyes. _Maybe this was how it was meant to be._ She thought as she closed her eyes accepting her fate, until something niggled at her consciousness. _Use it!_ The voice whispered urgently _._ It was an unfamiliar voice and she tried searching the recess of her mind, but it was no use. _Use it, you foolish girl!_

 _Use what?_ The voice didn't answer, instead she silted her eyes as the demon opened its mouth to reveal a row of sharp jagged teeth and the pain receded to the back of her mind as she realized that it had meant to eat her alive. _I don't want to die!_

She felt a surge of power rise, as she let loose a blast of pink light that purified the demon to ash. She fell hard, as the demon's limbs disintegrated, and she landed on her injured shoulder with a pained groan.

It took several moments for her to come back down to earth. Her head felt light, and she felt as if she was floating down from a cloud. Her shoulder throbbed insistently, and she raised her hands up staring in rapt fascination at the unblemished flesh. _Did I do that_? She tried to search for the voice, and pin down the source of the strange power. Somehow, she knew that whatever it was, it was different from her normal capabilities.

 _Could it be?_ She could feel those red threads tighten ever so slightly as she got up to her feet and could not stop from trembling, _That the shikon jewel truly exists, and that I am somehow involved?_

She stumbled as she made her way back to the site of the landslide, too afraid to finish the thought. With cold dread she began digging through the landslide, putting her body on automatic as she used what little strength she had to move away the rubble.

* * *

Inuyasha sat up slowly with a heavy throb that started at the back of his skull. He inhaled slowly as his senses adjusted, and he felt a sharp stab in his side that made him wince. Gingerly, he sat up as the throbbing in his head intensified and he let lose a string of curses.

Judging from the sound of dripping water, he knew that he must've fell quite a distance. His mind flashed to the solemn priestess, as a stab of dread and a feeling that he could not name caused panic to seize his chest.

 _That son of a bitch must've been hiding out here all this time_. Inuyasha wrinkled his nose in disgust as he kicked a small mountain of human skulls as the smell of decay made his head feel light.

"I'm coming." He prayed that he wasn't too late. He knew from his first meeting that the woman wasn't helpless, and he was sure that she could hold her own. His ears flickered once, and he could here that someone was coming. The noxious smells emanating from the cave was interfering with his sense of smell, but he could hear grunting. Very human grunting. _It can't be_

Several meters above his head, on a craggy niche, a dim light shone down on him as he looked up and saw a familiar dirt streak face of the woman illuminated by a torch of light rushing to save him. He smelled her fatigue and the stench of yokai's blood, and he furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Inuyasha! Thank goodness, you're okay. Can you move?" He could hear the concern in her voice and for a moment, he was distracted by the woman worrying over his wellbeing.

"Yeah, something triggered another landslide and I ended falling deeper in this god forsaken place."

"Hold on, I'll make a bigger opening so that we can get out of here." He heard her struggling with the rubble, but gradually the light got bigger until he could make out her slim figure. He easily leapt up on the ledge and where she was panting heavily, but she graced him with a relieved smile.

"How the hell did you manage to come down here by yourself?" He asked in amazement, he would have eventually found his way out. But the woman had managed to surprise him again.

"I also grew up in a mountainous region. During attacks, we had to evacuate in the tunnels. I figured that it would be the same set up and the further I got, the more I realized that you were probably buried deeper in the mountains. Someone had already dug out a tunnel and I had a hunch that it would take me to you." She said breathily as she managed to catch her breath.

"You're bleeding." On his own accord, his finger brushed at her shoulder, where a red stain was becoming more pronounced and without asking her permission, he pushed her sleeve off her shoulders to reveal her wound. Kagome hissed in protest.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" She asked sharply, as she removed herself from his grasp. He seemed to catch himself and reeled away from her as if her touched burned him.

"Sorry." Inuyasha offered lamely, and he felt the compulsion to bash his head against the rocks. The woman brought something out of him, for reasons he didn't understand, and he had to fight the strange impulse to protect her. He knew that he was fighting a losing battle with his instincts which caused him to grind his teeth. He was not expecting her to laugh at his expense, and he watched in disbelief as her shoulders shook and she covered her mouth.

"What's so funny wench?" He demanded with more bite than he felt.

"I guess we're even now." Kagome smiled cheekily, and he snorted trying to dismiss the blow to his pride.

"Feh. I didn't ask for your help and I'm not so weak that I'd depend on a frail human woman." He was a more than capable and competent warrior and his pride would never allow him to openly admit that a woman had come to his rescue.

"You sure are arrogant, a thank you would've been nice. And would it kill you to use my name? My name isn't woman, or wench. It's Kagome" She didn't know why she was letting the arrogant lord get under her skin, but she tried to reign in her temper as he openly dismissed her.

"Whatever wench. Come on, we don't have all day to be wasting oxygen." He led the way and sure enough she was right about the tunnels. Lucky guess. He shrugged, but something had been bothering him. Slowly they made their way back to the surface, and the sight that met his eyes caused his eyebrows to raise into his hairline.

"You did this?" He motioned to the dead yokai, and was grateful that there were no casualties. He followed her line of vision as she began rapidly making her way to Jinenji who was unconscious and badly wounded.

"Yes...but it was an accident."

"What do you mean accident?" And she told him, everything except the part about the demon demanding that she give it the shikon jewel and the voice inside her head goading her on. Inuyasha stood in stunned silence as his mind begin to put together the pieces. _Shit, was I out for that long?_

"So you mean to tell me, that you're a priestess, yet you have no control over your own power?" He snorted derisorily and she felt her face heat up in embarrassment. It was a cheap shot, but Inuyasha used the insult to cover up his own shock, as he wondered what else the woman was capable of. _She's more dangerous_ _than she looks. Sesshomaru would want to know about this._

His mood darkened as he thought about his half-brother.

"It's not my fault. The demon took a hostage and I couldn't use my bow, I was taken by surprise and one thing led to the next." Her indignation had made her reveal much more than she wanted to and suddenly she felt the fight leave her. He had begun to look at her like the villagers did when they thought that she wasn't looking. They looked at her like she was a danger to herself and everyone around her. She turned her back on the rude lord and felt a terrible loneliness suddenly take root. _What did it matter? What did any of this matter._

"If you'll excuse me Lord Inuyasha, but Jinenji needs my assistance." She mechanically tended to his wounds while apologizing for not being stronger. Inuyasha sensed a shift in her mood as she exuded an air of sadness that made him feel guilty. When she was done, she turned to rigidly march in the opposite direction where the woman and children were still hiding, and she knew that someone had to tell the headman's wife about her deceased son.

Inuyasha felt the compulsion to comfort her rise in him as he reached for her.

"Wait. Kagome, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." He didn't know why he felt compelled to apologize, and he wished for the first time that he could say the right things and not make a complete ass of himself. _She has already gone through a terrible ordeal, with being crucified and all. Do you think you can be less of an ass for once?_

"Forget it. I never wanted to be a priestess anyway and I wish everyone would stop treating me like I'm supposed to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders." She tried to walk away, but his hand on her shoulder stopped her from leaving.

"Then why don't you stop carrying it" Inuyasha felt drawn to her and she searched his face in confusion, as she turned towards him. He didn't fight his instincts as he cupped her cheek and saw as she tried in vain to hold up her chin. He was so close that he felt her tremble, but slowly her expression closed off and she turned her head away as a curtain of hair hid her expression from him.

"You don't know what you're saying. I've probably kept you from your duties. But I have one favor to ask." She was back to using the same clipped tone full of propriety and he backed down as his instincts raged inside of him.

"Take me back to my village and I'll be out of your hair." She needed to know what became of her people, but now she felt something else compelling her.

Inuyasha frowned, as he watched the emotions shift and he tried to search her scent for clues, as he felt the same helplessness from his human night. He growled inwardly to himself. _She's not my responsibility. But it's the least that I can do_ _and it's probably for the best._

"Deal. It'll be at least a couple days from here." He regarded the setting and inwardly sighed. _Sesshomaru is going to kill me, I can't believe I got suckered into this._

"Come on, let's lug Jinenji back home and see if the hag will house us for another night."


	4. Chapter 4

The pair left first thing in the morning.

Kagome watched his back in silence as they were both caught up in their own thoughts. He hadn't spoken to her ever since they left Jinenji's village and she wondered what was on his mind.

She noticed that he was more thoughtful than usual, stopping and setting up camp whenever she showed signs of exhaustion, allowing her to indulge in a hot bath, and making sure that she was fed. His small gestures pleased her, but his silence began to trouble her, and she wondered if she did something wrong.

Kagome sighed as she wondered about the half demon lord's life. She wondered what he did besides patrol the old country and slay rogue demons who had stepped out of bounds. Now that they were alone, she was curious to know what his childhood was like. She felt silly asking him these things, but it had been such a long time since she had a companion and she couldn't help her growing interest.

She had tried to get him to talk about his past as the evening wore on, when they had set up camp earlier than usual because Inuyasha wanted to scout the area. When he came back with a string of fish over his shoulder and some fruit, she knew that it was now or never.

"Inuyasha?" He grunted in acknowledgment as he quickly cleaned, and gutted the fish and she scooted closer to him, he seemed to tense at her nearness and she raised a sharp brow. _Am I imagining things?_

"What's it like beyond these borders that you work so hard to patrol?" She leaned in to the fire and inhaled the scent of cooking fish that made her stomach rumble. Inuyasha lightly scoffed and wondered what the woman was up to and why she would ask him such a stupid thing.

"Chaotic." He replied curtly, and she sighed audibly as he handed her a piece of fruit that she bit into with gusto. She hadn't expected him to go over battle plans, or even sound that enthusiastic but she couldn't help but feel disappointed.

"You must be away a lot from your family." He shrugged noncommittally as he turned the skewers over in the flames.

"Don't have much family, except for a half-brother." She seemed to latch onto that as her expression brightened.

"What's he like?

"Most of the time he's a giant prick with an icicle up his ass." Kagome frowned and audibly sighed to herself at the unforthcoming half demon lord. When he handed her a skewer she found that she didn't have much of an appetite.

She missed her family.

"A brother is better than no one. You don't realize what you take for granted until it's gone." She chuckled without humor, and it was Inuyasha's turn to frown. The wench had been moody all day and he discreetly searched her scent to see if it was that time of the month. He had gone out of his way to be nice to her, extra nice given his proclivity to lose his temper and he couldn't for the life of him figure her out.

"Did you end up taking someone for granted?" He found himself being drawn in by the woman's spell.

"Yes…my grandfather. He wasn't the easiest man to get along with, but he was always there for me." Kagome surprised herself as she freely talked about her deceased loved one, at the end of her story her cheeks were flushed and Inuyasha hid a smile at the image she painted of the quirky old man.

"I didn't grow up with any of my grandparents," He thought somberly as he fed the fire with pieces of dry wood before continuing, "Although, from the stories that my old man shared, I'm not sure I would've liked them. I grew up with my mother in the countryside. In fact, we're not too far from my mother's old village and she was good friends with the crone." He finished referring to Jinenji's mother. Kagome's eyes widened, and she smiled to herself, pleased that she had finally gotten the half demon lord to divulge.

They both stayed up for most of the night swapping stories from their youth until she began to lightly doze off. Inuyasha looked down at the woman who began softly snoring as she leaned heavily on his shoulder and he traced her golden skin gleaming in the firelight until his eyes fell on her mouth.

Inuyasha forcibly tore his eyes away and looked up at the canopy of stars as he felt the fight leave him. He had been distant with the woman, hoping that he could quickly deliver on his end of the promise because he gave her his word.

Something about the woman unsettled him, and it was not just the emotions that she drew out from his normally reserved bearing. He mulled on the events leading up to their meeting, and when he came up against the same dead ends, he sighed in frustration and told himself that it had to be a trap.

Inuyasha felt himself becoming ensnared and suddenly he didn't care. He brushed a clawed hand across her cheek and admired her sleeping countenance.

Suddenly, something bit his neck and he slapped the annoying insect and was about to flicker the bug into the flames when he saw a familiar face.

"Lord Inuyasha!" The flattened bug squeaked as he scowled down at the pesky demon.

"Myouga, you better have a good reason for why you're interrupting me." The flea demon looked up at the young lord, to the human woman sleeping on his shoulder and he began to apologize profusely.

"My Lord, I didn't know you had it in you. I'll leave right away and come back in the morning."

"Idiot, you better start talking, and fast."

Sensing the young lords growing ire, Myouga cleared his throat.

"I have news from the Hyoga clan and the invading human army that was last seen near the northern borders."

"Spit it out." Inuyasha ordered, and when Kagome shifted besides him he remembered that he had to lower his voice.

"As you know the Hyoga have been your fathers sworn enemies for centuries. Both sides have appeared to form a pact, and that's not all my Lord." Myouga sighed, as he folded his limbs across his chest and closed his eyes in resignation. "There's been an attack on the wolf's stronghold. Whispers abound that its tied with some old territorial claims, but it's too soon to say for certain. Your brother wants you to go and investigate."

Inuyasha pinched the bridge of his nose and his head began to pound at the mention of the wolves. He wasn't surprised by the turn of events. Things had been too quiet, and he was almost glad for the reprieve.

"Is that all?" Inuyasha exhaled wearily, and the flea demon seemed to fidget under his lord's gaze.

"Er…yes, Lord Inuyasha. But I've been meaning to ask, who's this lovely young lady?"

"No one that you'd know. I promised to escort her back to her village, but I'm afraid that we're going to have to take a slight detour" He decided to close the matter until he could answer that question with more confidence. Inuyasha was wary of revealing too much because of the flea demon's partiality to gossip, even if he was Inuyasha's best informant.

The first grey streaks of dawn were illuminating the horizon when he decided to move out. Inuyasha was surprised that she took the news so well.

"Well I guess it can't be helped." She simply shrugged as she picked through her breakfast. If she was honest with him, she would admit that the closer she got to home, the more anxious she became.

Kagome was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize that he had stopped, and she bumped into his back with a soft oof.

"Inuyasha, what is it?" She said in a small voice that she didn't recognize as her own.

"Wolves, and human blood, lots of it." He let out a low growl. He was hoping that by taking the more mountainous path that they would avoid trouble, but he gathered that it was now or never given the flea demons report. _But what the hell are wolves doing so far out here, damn mongrels_.

"Get on." He crouched low and she stared incredulously at the back of his head as she gingerly got on his back. He adjusted her and was careful of her wounds and soon he launched up the rocky hills. Kagome sucked in a frightened scream and pressed her face in the side of his neck as her heart pounded in her chest.

Inuyasha skidded to a stop and Kagome slid of his back, momentarily thanking the gods for solid ground and when she gathered her bearings she felt a faint brush of yoki that made her edgy.

"Come on." Inuyasha ordered, not waiting for her to stand as he already began making his way up the winding path. Dread filled her, as a site of carnage greeted them in the village and she suppressed a shudder.

There were still a few wolf yokai feasting on slain humans and Inuyasha made quick work of them, with a disgusted snarl.

Such things were not uncommon, but when she saw a young child's bloated body split open she began to silently cry to herself. Inuyasha turned to her with an incredulous frown. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary but a common razing.

"Hey, it's okay." It was a lousy attempt to comfort her, he couldn't stand the sight of a woman crying. Somehow his efforts made her shoulders shake more and her muffled cries grew louder as he sighed. He awkwardly wound his hands around her shoulder and patted her back every now and again.

"I'm sorry. I sometimes forget how brief our lives are." Kagome wiped her face with the back of her hand and she didn't know what came over her. She managed a watery smile. "Thank You."

"I'd like to bury them and say a prayer." He snorted but did not deny her and watched her struggle to dig graves before he sighed in resignation and helped her to do most of the heavy work. She stood over each unmarked grave, and closed her eyes, uttering a few choice words that he had remembered in religious funerals from when his mother was alive.

"That's the last of them." She let out a sigh and dusted her hands. "Hopefully their souls can find peace. I sometimes forget how unforgiving this world can be."

"This place is a warzone, humans have no business building these settlements with no guaranteed protection." He said offhand, not really thinking.

"It's easy for you to see us that way, isn't it?" He wasn't expecting her bitter tone, and he shrugged not really wanting to pick a fight.

"Haven't really given it much thought. But we gotta keep moving, these parts are not safe especially if these little shits were feeding in broad daylight." Inuyasha finished darkly.

He chanced a glance at the woman as she held her eyes downcast, and she looked like she wanted to get away from him. He could sense that she wanted to say something more to him, but she didn't. She simply dusted herself off to search the rubble for supplies while he kept watch.

It wasn't too long that she came back with a woman's robe, a comb, a rare bar of soap and some rags, a cooking pot and a set of bow and quiver full of arrows. He raised a brow at the robe and she shrugged nonchalantly.

Kagome ignored his questioning gaze as she tied her supplies in a simple sack. She couldn't wait to wash the grit out of her hair, and sighed as she ran her hands through the tangled ends. Inuyasha stretched his limbs and turned towards the road.

Kagome froze mid step, as she felt a wave of malicious intent.

"Inuyasha." She warned in a hushed whisper. The half demon stilled and gripped tessaiga as he glared at the horizon and begin to growl.

"Wolves." Inuyasha spat in the dirt and Kagome gasped as a whirlwind of yoki was approaching fast and she instinctively whipped out her bow as a demon, skidded to a stop. She felt her hands tremble as the wolf demon smiled ferally.

"It's one god damn thing after the next." She heard Inuyasha curse under his breath.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here? I knew I smelled dog shit and it turns out that I was right." His face changed when he smelled the blood of slain wolf demons, and he clenched his jaw in rage.

"And you've slain my kin, you'll pay for that."

"Issuing threats so soon Kouga?" Inuyasha sneered and cracked his knuckles, "You have 30 seconds to explain why you're fucking wolves are prowling in unmarked territory and razing human villages." Kagome could hear the control slip from his voice as the wolf threw his head back and laughed.

"Fuck you. My pack owed their loyalty to your late father. Not to you and your bastard brother and I'm not afraid of a pack of yapping dogs. As long as I'm around, my pack will do what it wants. Besides, where were you when my tribe was nearly slain by that Kagewaki bastard?" The wolf's eyes glinted with resentment, and Inuyasha let out a snarl and charged with his claws outstretched and growled when the wolf twisted easily out of reach.

 _Did he just say Kagewaki?_ Her eyes widened a fraction as her mind began to race ahead of her. Kagewaki was alive. That didn't surprise her, but what did he want with a bunch of wolf yokai?

"You'll pay, asshole. Human settlements are off limits and you're way out of bounds" Inuyasha shouted and he unsheathed tessaiga, as the wolf scoffed.

"Don't tell me you've warmed up to humans?" He cast a side eye to Kagome, and she suppressed a shuddered as his eyes roved over her face and trailed down her curves as the wolf demon whistled low in appreciation.

Kagome felt her face flush at the wolfish grin the demon sported as he was drawn back in battle, narrowly dodging a swipe from tessaiga and jumped behind his foe, and delivered a powerful kick in the half demons back that sent him sputtering to the ground.

"Although I don't blame you. The human wench isn't half bad looking." He watched as Inuyasha raised to his feet, blood trickling from one corner of his mouth that he wiped away with the back of his hand and spat out a bloodied tooth nearly missing the wolf's foot.

"If you want to keep your head, I'd suggest you leave her out of this." Inuyasha's voice hardened, and moments later he stared in disbelief as the wolf nearly dodged an arrow. He watched as Kouga touched his face, a trickle of blood ran down his cheek as his eyes widened in rage.

The human bitch had shot him. Kouga lunged at her as she readied another arrow, but the wolf was too fast. Inuyasha's sword intercepted his blow, as he was blown back by the force of tessaiga, and he narrowly dodged having his arm sliced off.

Kouga knew that he was unmatched, he hated to lose and couldn't walk away when his kin were unavenged. He straightened and regarded the woman over Inuyasha's protective stance and gave a nasty smile.

"You know dog shit, I'm starting to see the light." Kouga offered coyly, Inuyasha snarled and wondered what the wolf was up to and like clockwork he charged, instead of meeting his blow, the wolf launched himself over the half demons head towards the woman where she tried unsuccessfully to shoot him. _That won't work on me again, princess_. Using his speed to his advantage, he silently apologized, as he cracked her across her jaw and grabbed her over his shoulders before making a speedy exit.

Inuyasha stood there in disbelief at the empty plateau and tried to get a grasp on the rage that was slowly boiling inside of him. On the ground was her sack, and the bow with her arrows spilling from the quiver on the cold ground.

"I'm going to skin that wolf alive if it's the last thing that I do." He muttered darkly to himself as he slammed tessaiga in its scarab, and followed her scent trail.


	5. Chapter 5

Kagome awoke slowly. Her head was pounding, and her sides were aching. She was travelling at an alarming speed and the wind whipped her hair slightly stinging her cheeks. She gave a terrified shriek as she made the mistake of looking down, and furiously kicked at the wolf demon who carried her like a sack of potatoes, as he nearly dropped her.

"Hey, if you don't want to fall to your death, I suggest you don't try that again." The wolf demon bit out menacingly. She glared up at him and tightened her fist and hammered his shoulders, wishing that she could call on those strange powers and purify him with a single touch. He smirked in amusement as he smelled her angry tears.

"What right do you have to do this?" The wolf looked back and wore a gloating smile, and she shuddered at the sharp canines

"Because I can. You're mine now and dog shit can't stop me from taking what I want." He landed roughly atop a rocky mountain plain and he jogged a few more miles before they

reached a multi-level cave carved into a cliff. He dumped her unceremoniously in a dank cave and yoki prickled at her consciousness as several shaggy heads shot up and regarded their leader.

"She's not food you dolts. If any one of you mongrels lay a paw on her, you'll have to answer to me." He growled making eye contact with every one of his wolves that began to whine in understanding. He snapped his fingers and two female yokai appeared from the shadows and took his armor and his sword.

"Prepare her for my chambers." He ordered, and Kagome visibly shuddered as her face paled. _He can't mean to…_ She couldn't finish the thought as a new fear made her heart hammer in her chest.

The wolf demonesses silently led the stunned woman further into the caves down a winding path carved with stone steps until they reached an underground plateau dotted with shimmering pools of water. Under different circumstances, she would have stopped and marveled at the beauty, but she was caught in the middle of her self-righteous maidenly panic. She made a sound of protest as she was stripped mechanically, and she was submerged in a pool of mineral water and scrubbed non-too gently.

"Hey! Ease up on the manhandling okay? I can do you both a favor and do it myself." She snatched her arm back and retrieved the floating rag, and when she stood up she was faced with a glowering green-eyed demoness whose stone-cold expression caused goosebumps to rise on her arms.

"I can't believe this, Koga bought a human bitch to our den. How could he be so stupid?" The red headed demoness threw down the bar a soap that had claw indents as she grinded her teeth together. "What does he even see in you, you're just a scrawny little thing anyway." She continued her tirade, and Kagome felt her indignation rise as her eyebrow began to tick in annoyance. _As if this whole situation couldn't get any worse._

"For your information, it's not like I asked the bastard to kidnap me. Do you really think I want to spend the night in his chambers?" She sighed, and rolled her eyes. "It's not like I asked for any of this." She said in a much quieter voice and she turned her back on the pair and crossed her arms under her breast.

Ayame snorted and flicked her hair in annoyance, her penetrating gaze sized up the woman who was stealing her intended mate.

"Am I supposed to feel sympathy for you, y-you mate stealer!"

"Why, you're just a jealous brat, aren't you?" She whirled around to reply hotly and could not believe that she was having this conversation. "I'm being held against my will; do you really think I'd be here otherwise?"

"So what if I am? Koga's my intended mate and he promised me that he would keep his word. We know about your kind. You're a witch, and you must've put a spell on him to make him look twice at you." The wolf demoness said snidely, as she cocked her hip and curled her lip in a snarl. Kagome snorted and tried not to outright laugh.

"This is beyond ridiculous. I don't even know what I did to deserve this" She rubbed her temples and tried to think of something useful, like how the hell she was going to get out of this jam.

"Look, I don't want to come in between you and your intended, and I think I can help you." Kagome offered slowly as a plan began forming in her head. As she expected the green-eyed demoness looked at her like she had just grown a second head. Kagome could practically hear the nasty thoughts the demon was sending her way and tried not to roll her eyes.

She was running out of time, if she did not win over the demoness she was afraid that she would have to take more drastic measures or risk having her honor violated. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as her mind went through a list of possible outcomes, and she searched deep within herself for an answer.

Kagome felt a warmth flood through her until she heard a voice. _What is it that you desire?_ It was the same voice that had popped up in her consciousness when she faced the root yokai. _Help me get out of here alive_. She didn't care what the voice was, or where it came from. She knew that it would grant her wish. Kagome felt herself splitting off and suddenly she was looking down at herself.

When she opened her eyes, she felt a calmness of spirit as the wolf demoness looked at her suspiciously.

"I can help," Kagome said in a tone of voice that she did not recognize, as she waded out of the water and the wolf demon tensed and seemed frightened at the shift in the young woman's scent. The human no longer smelled afraid, and Ayame was caught by the woman's spell binding stormy eyes that had hardened to steel. _Is this the same person?_ The wolf demon involuntarily backed away as the woman advanced.

"You want your beloved lord to return your affection? Simply do as I say, and your wish will be granted." The words slipped easily between her teeth as her head begin to feel light and she heard a hushed whisper in the recess of her mind that egged her on.

"H-how do I know I can trust you? You say you grant wishes, but you are a mere mortal." Ayame managed to get out, hating the tremor in her voice.

The voices all clamored for her attention at once, and Kagome suddenly stilled and closed her eyes as if she was in pain.

"You've heard of the shikon jewel of legends, have you not?" She almost sighed.

"You possess such a thing?"

"Yes."

Ayame had heard about the jewel of legends from her great grandfather. The wars waged over the jewel, lives ruined. It had disappeared for nearly 50 years, and she knew that the human could be lying. But she did not detect any outright lies. She felt an unnameable hunger in her gut as her mind showed her visions of her deepest desires. She licked her lips that had suddenly gone dry.

"Ayame! We cannot trust her, let me call the guards to take her back. The human has bewitched you!" Ayame snatched her hand back, and she had almost forgotten about her companion who looked even more frightened of the naked human woman. Ayame stared at the other wolf demoness with feverish eyes as her mind was already made up and she couldn't turn back now.

"I'm sorry." Ayame whispered as she plucked a leaf from her pigtail and blew until a green mist wafted in the air, and the wolf demoness grasped at her throat before slowly slumping unconscious.

The spell had been broken, and Kagome turned away in shame. She heard the voice echo in her heart and felt something in her gut twist. She had called on the strange power, and it had answered.

"How do I know that I can trust you." Ayame turned to the woman, with her eyes down cast and her fist clenched.

"I can ask you the same question." Kagome kept her cool, and after a moment of silence the wolf demon nodded her head.

"I need you to create a distraction…" Kagome began to share her plan in low tones once she knew that she had an ally and a path to her freedom.

* * *

Koga was waiting for her in a darkened chamber and she breathed deeply, trying to still her heart. _Keep your cool, girl. Demons can smell fear._

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering what happened to my prize and you finally smell free of dog shit." She found herself caged in his embrace, as he took his time to enjoy her scent. She jerked away when his hands became busy pursuing her curves and running up and down her backside.

"Don't." She said on instinct and he reveled in the vulnerability in her voice. The tough bitch act was gone, and he found himself hardening at her feeble resistance. He usually preferred demonesses in his bed but he made room for exceptions.

The arrogant half demon lord's face flashed in his mind, and he smirked in triumph. Koga was confused when he searched her scent and he smelled that she was unclaimed, yet otherwise reeked of the dog. He shrugged, he wasn't one for minor details and if the useless mutt couldn't finish the job, he was demon enough to step in.

"What's the matter princess? you scared?" There was no gentleness in his voice, and he forcibly grabbed her chin so that she was forced to look at him. Angry stormy grey eyes regarded him, as her face flushed underneath his penetrating gaze.

"If you lay a hand on me, Inuyasha will make you pay." She threatened, and he threw his head back and laughed. Who said human wenches were dull? He wiped the tears from his eyes and flashed a wolfish grin. She would be fun to break.

"Sweetheart, by the time that mutt finds us, I will be already through with taking what I want." He promised darkly, and yanked her towards him where she slammed into his bare chest and he claimed her mouth in a bruising kiss.

He flexed his claws on her hip and reached between them to rip open the fastenings holding her robe closed. Kagome shut her eyes as angry tears slid down her cheeks and she shuddered when his hard length poked her belly and there was no way that she could mistake his intentions. When he forced open her mouth and slid his tongue down her throat she instinctively reacted and bit him. Kagome knew that she made a mistake as he reared back in disbelief, and she hastily wiped the back of her mouth as she glared at him in disgust.

"You-you bit me." Koga tasted the coppery taste of blood in his mouth, and stared down at the human woman in astonishment. He reached for her causing her to impulsively flinch away as she anticipated a slap, but all he did was lightly brush her hair.

"Feisty. I think I like it." He chuckled darkly. He was still talking, which was a good sign and she prayed that Ayame would hurry up.

"You don't have to do this." She tried not to plead, instead he nipped the side of her neck hard enough to draw blood, and she flinched as his palms roughly palmed her breast while he pressed his length more insistently into her thigh.

"Don't tell me what I can't and can't do woman." He said between a growl, and she trembled as he yanked her robes to expose her breast and non-too gently nicked the underside of the soft flesh and his hungry mouth descended to lick at the marks that he left.

"I want you now." His eyes glazed over with lust and he carried her back to his bed and shed the rest of his furs. With predatory grace he crawled over her body and on instinct she sent a warning zap of her power. Koga reeled back and snarled in her face as his eyes flashed red and she knew that she was out of time.

Suddenly, someone was pounding on the door and Koga cursed as he looked down at the woman in his bed like it was somehow her fault. He jerkily left the bed without bothering to pull on any clothes and yanked the door open and promised bloody murder to the demon who dared to interrupt him.

"What?" He snarled down at the blushing red-haired demoness who averted her gaze and tried to keep her cool.

"An intruder attack, my lord. It's the Birds of Paradise, Ginta spotted them on the eastern border from our stronghold, and Hakkaku has come back from border patrol and has confirmed that a swarm of them were heading this way." She spluttered out.

"By the fifth hells." He cursed, before grabbing his kilts and training a menacing eye back on the women that he was seconds away from claiming.

"This isn't finished" He growled out at her with a pointed look, and Kagome slumped in the bed sheets, her heart trying to tattoo itself to her ribcage. She knew that if the wolf demoness was two seconds late, Koga would have delivered on his promise.

"Ayame, thank the gods. How did you manage to pull off an intruder attack?" Kagome managed to rasp out as she fumbled with retying her robe. The girl mutely walked in, her nose discreetly working before she sighed in relief. She helped the strange human woman tie her robes with deft fingers.

"I didn't. Those nasty harpies are really approaching. They never attack this early because their nocturnal. Ginta thinks that something might've set them off." Kagome blanched as she visibly looked down at the ground as her mind raced back to the wish that she made. _Could_ _it be?_

"We're at half strength, so we've already began evacuating the women and children to the underground tunnels. We've been at war for so long, sometimes it's hard to remember what life use to be like." Kagome was surprised at the girl's honesty and she quickly schooled her features. Right now, she needed to keep a level head.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not a terribly good shot but if you find me a bow and arrow, I can lend a hand." She offered a tiny smile, and was pleased when the wolf demoness smiled back.


	6. Chapter 6

Inuyasha was at it for several hours now and weariness had begun to slip over him. The sky had begun to darken, although sunset was still hours away. He realized with a grunt of frustration that he had lost the scent trail again. The damn wolves had built their stronghold upwind, which made it harder for them to be tracked.

He was more worried than he would ever admit out loud, and that simple thought made him even more aggravated. Inuyasha reasoned that it was his fault that Kagome got kidnapped in the first place because of his bad blood with the wolves.

His expression closed off as he shuddered to think what could happen to her if he didn't get there soon. Inuyasha knew from personal experience what Koga and his kin were like, and the mangy wolf was not known for showing sympathy or compassion towards humans.

If his brother could see him now, chasing after a human wench like a whipped dog, Inuyasha would be humiliated beyond words. He could just picture the haughty asshole bearing down on him while scornfully questioning if it was truly their late fathers blood coursing through his veins. Inuyasha sneered and cast the mental image of his brother out of his head. Damn him to hell. _Hold on, I'm coming Kagome._

Inuyasha had been so busy sniffing at the ground that he almost missed the sound of horses approaching in the distance. _Shit, they're coming this way_. He tensed before making a split decision and launched himself up in the safety of the trees as a band of samurai approached with torches to guide their way through the wilds.

He wouldn't have paid them any mind until he noticed that there were demons amongst the human warriors bound by ropes and he knew enough of the battlefield to identify that they were prisoners of war. _Those wolves are from Koga's clan_. Inuyasha's eyes widened in recognition as his attention snapped to the human lord leading the group of men and he narrowed his eyes in instant dislike.

"This is becoming a thorn in my side." Lord Kagewaki sighed to himself as he sat upon his horse while his men busied themselves with securing their camp for the evening.

He was studying a set of scrolls as something caught his eye, and he glanced up in the treetops with the odd sensation that he was being watched. He dismissed his paranoia as his weariness catching up with him and his waning patience.

"Monk." He snapped his fingers and a young man in heavy purple robes silently made his way to Kagewaki's side. The monk was the fifth replacement in the lords shrinking counsel, and his fingers itched for his sword as he thought about the many incompetent priest his campaign had lost and all the lies.

"Yes, my Lord?" The young monk bore a genial charming smile that opposed the grimness darkening the depths of his eyes.

"I've been following your advice since we set out for these miserable wastelands. The wolves proved more of a nuisance than they were worth and after taking a risk I still have nothing to show for my efforts. How is it that we still have not found the jewel?"

Kagewaki lowered his brows, and while he didn't raise his voice, his menacing tone was taut with his frustration. There had been whispers that the young lord had gone mad, as his curiosity slowly turned into an obsession. But deep down, Kagewaki knew that he would be the one who possessed the jewel and possess the ultimate power to do as he pleased.

"According to legend," The young monk began in clipped tone he always used when delivering facts from his teachings "it has been said that the relic was last seen in a cavernous region. There is still Mount Muro, where heretics claimed that the relic has been buried with monk Kakuken. He was rumored to be a bodhisattva and the site is heavily protected by priests. Then there is an old wife's tale that has been passed down for generations. At the Taijiya village , legend says that the jewel is still crystallized within the remains of Lady Midoriko."

Kagewaki didn't respond right away and he appeared deep in thought. He had been searching for the relic for past several years and had even begin to convince some powerful clans that such a power existed.

There was too much at stake for him to turn back and he was prepared to risk it all as he set his eyes on the prospect of becoming ruler in the new world order. He cast a side eye at the wolves, as he realized that the idiotic wolf lord had been telling the truth. Torturing them for information about the relics whereabouts would prove futile.

"Very good Miroku. You are more useful than your father, and your grandfather before you." Kagewaki tied the scrolls and tucked them in his sleeves, and he missed the storm that passed across the young monks face as he clenched his fist.

"We will move out first thing in the morning to the Taijiya village and I want a full-scale diversion." Kagewaki ordered stoically, while inside him he felt a spark of pleasure.

"And I suppose we won't be needing you anymore, kill them." Kagewaki addressed his captives, and pointed to Miroku with a nasty smile as he retreated to his tent for the evening.

He would realize much late that that which he was seeking, was closer than he could possibly imagine.

Inuyasha heard enough. He closed his eyes, flattening his ears to block out the muffled screams of the wolves and bounded through the wilderness. His instincts told him that what he witnessed was important, but he didn't know enough to unload the unsettling feeling in his gut. _The bastard is looking for something and it must mean something if he attacked the wolves for it._

Suddenly, he came to a halt as the wind bought a familiar scent. Kagome's blood. There was no way that he could mistake that smell, her blood tinged with fear. His eyes widened as spotted an outcropping of boulders that led to some rocky hills and his heart constricted in its cage. _Damn it all, am I too late?_ The woman's face flashed in his mind, as an unnameable fear filled him.

Tessaiga thrummed in its scarab, and he finally understood what the fang had been trying to tell him. Somehow the image gave him courage and he leapt up to the rocky peaks and broke out in a dead run towards the wolves' stronghold.

Inuyasha saw on the horizon a flock of grey ugly birds, and he wrinkled his nose in disgust as he recognized the familiar stench. _Birds of Paradise? What are those ugly shits doing here?_

They were a pain in the ass, and were warring with the wolf demon tribe for the last several years. _Feh, Myouga was right after all. I gotta give the parasite some credit._ They were stupid creatures and were prone to follow their baser instincts and were not open to reason. He growled menacingly and doubled his speed. _Why are they attacking the wolves' stronghold now? Could something have provoked an attack?_

His thoughts raced, as he got a hold on Kagome's scent and it was the only thing that he could focus on.

"Bingo." He smiled without humor as he raced towards swarm of yokai, hoping by the gods that the woman was alright.

* * *

The wolves were preparing for battle as a formidable wind blew from the east. They looked uneasy as the sky darkened with more and more birds of paradise. They knew that at half strength, that they were outnumbered and clearly at a disadvantage.

Koga addressed his best men in hushed tones as he was boosting the moral of his battle worn and fatigued people. While he warred with his instincts, he knew that he would rather die fighting than with his tail tucked between his legs.

" _Now_ , _men_!" He began. "This is no time for pussy footing. I will try to clear a path, and I want about half a dozen of you to come along with me. The rest of you will focus on making the woman, children, and elderly are completely evacuated." Koga finished and raised goraishi, as the clawed weapon glinted in the dying sun, his men loudly cheered as he hoped that he could hold them together long enough to execute his plan.

Inuyasha launched himself on the other side of the cliff so that he was opposite of the wolves' den. He rolled his shoulders, trying to alleviate some of the tension as he observed the unfolding situation. _Stupid wolves. Serves the bastards right for refusing to uphold the pact_.

He smirked and resolved to get Kagome and get the hell out of there before shit hit the fan. He easily spotted Koga, on the other side of the cliff looking pensive with a small handful of warriors squaring off to launch an attack. _What are the ugly shits waiting for?_

His eyes flickered over the varying wolf demons until he found what he was looking for. His nose found her before he saw her. She smelled of sweat and exhaustion, musk and wildflowers. She still vaguely smelled of the ocean and his eyes closed as he reveled in the smell of her alive.

Inuyasha froze when he smelt the wolf on her skin and he momentarily saw red as his blood ignited. _That fucker tried to force her_. He cursed as the stink of the wolf's arousal and Kagome's fear nearly overwhelmed her subtle floral aroma, and a spark of possessiveness caused him to grind his teeth.

He saw the dark-haired woman from a distance from on the battlefield whispering with a red headed demoness with pigtails and he allowed his anger to drive him as he leapt the distance much to the surprise and shock of the wolves who began growling in warning.

"Kagome!" He bellowed as he landed with a soft thud in front of her. He wasn't expecting the woman to fling herself at him nearly toppling him over as he steadied her. She clutched the front of his robe and he felt her tears wet his neck as he wrapped his arms around her more securely. Inuyasha stared down at her dark head with equal parts of relief and confusion as he awkwardly rubbed her back.

"Kagome?" He asked in a much gentler voice as she looked up for a moment and he was caught off guard by her mysterious grey eyes misting over in an expression that he had never seen on her before. She graced him with a blinding smile, and he felt his heart slowly speed up in his chest.

"Thank the gods. I was worried that I would never see you again. I knew that you would come for me." She leaned her forehead on his chest, and he was content to hold her as he forcibly shut off the scathing voice inside of his head. Inuyasha took a deep breath of her scent and brushed his nose against her hair.

"Stupid. Did you really think I would leave you in the hands of that fleabag?" His words lacked venom and she laughed, equal parts relieved and confused. She had wanted to see him, but a smaller her part of her heart had wished that he had stayed away. Kagome tried to stave off the melancholic turn of her thoughts as a faint flush rose on her checks as she allowed him to hold her.

"I knew you would come. I was afraid." She admitted in a much smaller voice and he felt the familiar spark of anger return full force.

"I'm going to kill that fucking asshole." He promised darkly as she let go of his robe and considered his scowling profile with genuine worry and relief. A wry smile twisted on her lips as he brandished tessaiga, and his ears flickered at Kagome's suppressed giggles.

"What's so funny?" He frowned as another wave of giggles escaped, and he rose a dark eyebrow in confusion, she didn't get to finish that thought as something hard barreled into his chest.

"Hey, dogshit, what the hell do you think you're doing with my woman?" The idiot wolf had finally tore his eyes away from the flock of birds, and had delivered a swift kick in the half demon lords chest.

Inuyasha quickly got to his feet and felt his jaw spasm.

"You have a lot of nerve." The half demon began in a deathly quiet tone. "I think I've had it up to here with your shit, wolf." He raised tessaiga and was ready to wind scar the mangy wolf out of his miserable existence when Kagome intervened.

"Inuyasha wait." He felt Kagome's hand over his wrist, and he huffed in annoyance. He didn't like the flash of determination hardening her gaze. He frowned at her, as she silently pleaded with him and after a pause he felt a spike in his temper and kept a grip on his blade.

"Please don't hurt him." He wasn't expecting that, and a ferocious growl ripped from his throat.

"What the fuck? Have you lost your mind? This fucker kidnapped you, nearly violated you and you're asking me not to hurt him!" He exploded, and she flinched but she drew closer to him and gripped his wrist in her clammy hand.

She was pleading, and she searched his angry golden eyes, feeling his concern and indignation on her behalf. Deep down, she was happy that he had cared for and was incensed at what had been done to her.

"I know! I'm not pardoning him for his actions because what he did was unforgivable." She averted her gaze, and tucked a stray hair behind her ear as she relived the moment and felt shame. "But I promised a friend that I would help, and I can't go back on my word. Please don't be mad."

He tore his eyes away from her face as he had to forcibly tell himself that she wasn't choosing the wolf over him. Inuyasha exhaled slowly as he tried to cool his anger. He knew he couldn't leave her during a battle that wasn't even her own. _Crazy wench._

"Fine. But if that bastard puts his hands on you again, I can't be held responsible for my actions." He finally gave in.

"Thank you" She offered in a quiet voice and she squeezed his palm to express her gratitude.

"Koga, we need you! They're breeching our defenses." The wolf's smug look was replaced with concern as he regarded the ugly situation unfolding before his eyes.

Kagome grabbed the bow and arrow from where it was discarded, and Inuyasha shot her an incredulous expression. She ignored him and readied her first shot.

"Wench, you better explain yourself after all of this is over." She gave him a tight smile that did not quite reach her eyes and nodded, before she let a sacred arrow that filled the sky with bright pink light. Inuyasha sighed, and after some hesitation he joined her in battle.

Something was wrong. No matter how many birds of paradise they killed, their numbers were still overwhelming. A squad of birds landed on the hill side, engaging in close combat with wolf demons who gained an upper hand.

Kagome reached for an arrow, as a grey bird broke from its pack and trained red eyes on her filled with intense hunger. The demon was distinct because it had two riders instead of one.

"You priestess. You possess the shard of the sacred jewel. You reek of it." The demon rasped, and it lunged at her, intending to swallow her whole.

"Not a chance." She replied with more confidence than she felt.

She released her arrow with a soft grunt and it merely grazed the demon who charged at her at full speed. _Oh no_. She tried to run and duck for cover, before Inuyasha landed in front of her and slammed tessaiga in the ground, as five fingers of light engulfed the foul beast. She gave him a grateful smile, and he frowned at her empty quiver.

"Stay behind me." He ordered, as he sent another blast of energy towards a swarm of demons that was over powering the wolves. She nodded as he made quick work a large swathe of birds of paradise.

As the battle dragged on, Inuyasha noticed that the demons were beginning to change their tactics. He saw that they tried to draw him away to attack Kagome, who could only duck until someone would cover her. He gritted his teeth, and threw his robe over his head and she gave him a quizzical look before he sliced through the horde and unleashed another blast of yoki.

 _Why are they after her?_ He scowled, as he punched through a brave demon that tried to chomp down on his arm. _It doesn't make any sense, but I'll get to the bottom of this if it's the last thing I do._

Between Inuyasha's might and Koga's speed, the battle slowly turned in the wolves' favor. The birds, realizing that they had lost their upper hand began to retreat.

Koga was badly wounded, but alive. The wolves lost a lot of men. Inuyasha struggled to find sympathy for the hardheaded demons, and only for the sake of Kagome did he keep his mouth shut. He flickered tessaiga free of harpy blood before sheathing the blade.

"Come on, we're leaving." Inuyasha planned to grab Kagome and go but when he turned around, he found her on the battlefield, tending to the wounded wolf demons. Inuyasha spat out a few choice words, but he slowly reeled in his temper when he smelled her tears.

She was bent over the unmoving body of the red-haired demoness. The wolf demon had been struck in battle, and Kagome held her head in her lap as she whispered encouragements.

"Come on Ayame, you can make it." She tore off half her robe and tried in vain to stop the demons wound from bleeding. Inuyasha could smell death on the body, as Kagome's soothing words fell on deaf ears.

"Kagome…" He tried to reach for her, but he was at loss for words. She pretended not to hear him as she continued her ministrations.

Inuyasha glanced skyward and decided to wait, until finally the woman began to sob brokenly as he could only watch helplessly as her dark head bowed over the cold wolf demons body.

It was sometime before he managed to reach her, and he carried her bridal style away from the wolves' stronghold.


	7. Chapter 7

Inuyasha cast a worried glance at his brooding companion, and he wished he knew what she was thinking but her expression revealed nothing. She had refused to be carried once she regained consciousness and he rolled his eyes as she stumbled for the seventh time since they took to the road. The stubborn woman wouldn't speak, and he begin sensing that what was haunting her was beyond his control.

Inuyasha sighed as he begun to feel restless, and raked a hand through his hair. He tried to think of something comforting to say to her, but it seemed that everything that came out of his mouth riled her up and he didn't want to get into another screaming match.

How was he supposed to protect her if he didn't know what was wrong? Inuyasha knew that he hadn't done anything spectacular to earn her trust, yet he badly wanted her to trust him.

He watched her back as she went to the river to refill their canteens as she softly promised not to take too long, and a strange foreboding swept over him like an icy wind. He dismissed the feeling and crossed his arms over his chest. _Give her some space, she's probably sick of me breathing down her neck._

Once Kagome was finally alone, the truth of what she had done settled heavily upon her. All her life, she had heard whispers and taunts about being cursed and now she had finally believed it.

Kagome stared down at the clear, gurgling _brook_ and wondered if its currents would carry her away as she suppressed a wave of self-loathing. She carefully peeled the top layer of her robe off and hissed at the sight of her wounds as she roughly cleaned herself up and welcomed the sensation of pain over the guilt that had been too heavy a burden.

Kagome sat in a meditative posture, with each breath the pain began to recede as she allowed herself to feel the vortex of rage and sorrow. With practiced ease, she deepened her breaths, delving deeper into her mind and tried to contact the voice. She felt something pulling her, it was as if she was boarding a ship and something was inviting her into the depths of the vessel. A memory came unbidden.

 _She was facing a horde of demons, and felt a wave of exhaustion that caused her knees to buckle. Her strength was waning, and she knew that she was running out of time. The demons sensing her weakness, swarmed in on her with gleaming teeth as their eyes glittered with hate, their pleasure was cut short, when a blinding light consumed them, and they tried desperately to get away._

It was the sensation of pain that bought her back, as she grasped her chest. She took several deep breaths as she had to untangle herself from the solemn woman in her vision.

"I still don't understand." She whispered fiercely. Kagome remembered the wish that she had made back in the wolves' cave, to find a way out of no way, and she paled when she remembered the strange feeling that had come over her. It was as if she was in a dream state.

On a whim, she raised one hand as if she could summon the power on will. The look of concentration broke on her face and she snorted when nothing happened.

 _What is happening to me? Have I finally gone mad?_

Kagome felt a terrible loneliness take hold of her as she stared at her reflection. For a second, her reflection in the brook moved, but it didn't move in synch with her and she let out a wordless scream. Her reflection smiled back haughtily. _You're weak. You're just a walking target and a danger to everyone. Just give up, girl._

She heard her copycat say. In anger she splashed her reflection as a chilling laugh echoed through the meadow.

"No, you're wrong." Something settled in the darkest corner of _her_ heart, filling her resolve like a slow-acting poison. She could not stop trembling and when she looked down at her hands she saw that they were covered in blood.

 _I couldn't have known._ But a smaller part of her _had_ known, just as she knew that her reflection was right. No one was safe as long as she was around. She had something that demons wanted, something that with just an utterance could make friends turn on each other.

She envisioned Inuyasha, and her pulse quickened as she thought about how the brash half demon had breezed into her life. She knew that as long as she stayed with him, that he was in danger. Her heart hardened as she buried her sorrow. _Grandfather I will decide my future, and I refuse to be a tool to this wretched thing inside of me._

She turned to the horizon and gathered the forgotten canteens, hoping that Inuyasha would forgive her for taking her time.

"Inuyasha, I'm sorry I.." She paused at the empty field, as she hugged the canteens closer to her chest.

Inuyasha's sword lay on the ground innocently and she rushed to it. Kagome tried to still her racing heart. In the short time that she had known the half demon lord, she had never seen him without his weapon. _Maybe he's gone to relieve himself?_ She tried to convince herself, but the panic had made her heart beat double time in her chest. She gingerly retrieved his sword and in the grass, she saw two crumbled ofuda.

The paper disintegrated at her touch as her face drained of color.

"This is a sealing ward." She was familiar with the charm used on more powerful demons and cast a worried glance at the sky. Tessaiga thrummed, as she cast a curious glance at the sheathed blade.

"You can..talk?" She asked dumbfounded, and despite the bleak situation she managed a small smile. At least she wouldn't be completely alone. She took in her surroundings with the advantage of a clear mind, and realized that she had been too absorbed in her grief to pay attention to the shifting landscape.

"These are..." She turned to face the mountainside. "Holy grounds." She slapped her forehead at her stupidity. Inuyasha was in danger. She ran towards the horizon with renewed will.

* * *

Suikotsu dried his hands on a clean linen before he exited the tar paper shack that served as a makeshift monastery. He did the best that he could for the aging priest who had caught a case of the yellow plague that was spreading through the small village.

The young doctor sighed as he looked forward to spending the rest of his evening reading up on medicinal cures, and thought fondly about the ginger root in his small garden that was ripe for harvest. Before he left the priests compound, he paid his respects to a broken-down shrine that was erected for the victims of the plague.

His life moved in purposeful waves that he slowly became used to. The young doctor had originally been on his way to the old country, to leave the unsettling politics of Kyoto behind him when he stumbled upon the Hiyoshi shrine at the foot of Mount Muro. It was there that he met the aged priest, Saicho, who had taken one good look at him and convinced him to stay.

Each morning Suikotsu would trek with the old man and some of the monks down the mountains trails to the coast to fish, or to collect herbs. Somehow without his knowing, he had managed to find spiritual peace on these lands.

He was interrupted from his reflections as a commotion drew a large crowd at the village center and the young doctor made a detour and decided to see what all the fuss was about.

"Good men and women, we bring before you the wretched demon who has been causing turbulence throughout these lands. Who can withstand what these wretched beasts do to us? I will make sure that these demons have no place in these lands!" Two of Saicho's hot headed disciples, Ichirai and Sanno, had caged a demon who was bound with thick ropes and several sealing sutras placed on the outside of the cage.

Suikotsu shook his head as such sights were becoming a common trend with the rise of the yellow plague. There had been more attacks, and more villagers had begun to disappear. It made sense that the monks were starting a genocidal campaign, capturing and killing anything demonic that had the misfortune to wander on these vast lands.

Inuyasha lay immovable, as the damned charms had even robbed him of speech. He gritted his teeth as the stupid monks began talking rubbish, and the villagers, incensed began grabbing rocks and sticks and whatever they could find and chucked them at him. _Cowards._ He sneered as he cursed himself for being so careless.

"We will imprison the beast and take the gods will in our own hands by purifying these lands of filth." Ichirai's voice was smooth and his cadence measured as the people cheered and Inuyasha was roughly carted off to be imprisoned, as he began making dark promises while he planned his escape.

Suikotsu turned away from the scene and went about his business, when a young boy tugged insistently at his pant leg and he looked down. He recognized the child from a family of 8, two had recently began to show symptoms of sickness, and one young child had already passed away.

"What is it child?"

"Doctor, it's my sister. She wandered into the woods by herself and has not returned. Ma and Pa are too sick to fetch her"

"Don't worry, I'll get her and bring her back safely. Return to your home, the northeast winds have begun to blow and that's never a good sign." He watched as the child ran off, as the lad was slightly spooked by the doctor's omen.

He looked towards the distance, as a dull ache began to pound in his head. Lately his migraines have been getting worse, but he brushed it off as nothing as he walked towards the forest and set his mind on finding the girl.

* * *

Kagome stumbled over a tree root and would have fallen if she hadn't grabbed a tree branch, as fatigue began to catch up with her.

She heard soft singing just around the bend, and she staggered as she made her way through an overgrowth of foliage. She shivered as she felt an icy wind pass over her, and when she finally broke free from the vines she encountered a child who was stooped over a field of wild flowers. Kagome breathed in relief as she wondered where the little girl's chaperone was.

"Hey, what are you doing in these woods alone?" She chastised softly, as the child turned, and Kagome felt the blood freeze in her veins. The child's face was grotesque. Her sunken, and hollow cheeks spoke a life of illness and deep anguish. Kagome turned away from the child's yolky eyes rimmed in red.

"Priestess, did you lose your way too?" The child said in a voice barely above a whisper, and Kagome frowned in confusion. That's when she took her time to look, really look as she realized that the outcropping of rocks were poorly constructed graves that stretched quite a distance. Her eyes settled on the girl with understanding, and she smiled in compassion.

"No, I didn't. I'm looking for a friend. That's a pretty bouquet, is it for someone special?"

"My big brother. He told me that I had to be brave, and that everyone was counting on me." The child suddenly broke out into a gap-toothed smile, and the pride and happiness touched her as Kagome smiled back.

"That's wonderful advice, can you tell me about this place?" She asked gently, but the child shifted nervously and averted her gaze.

"I have to go now. Big brother is calling me." The child said softly, and suddenly a gale whipped through the sleepy meadow and Kagome shaded her eyes as she was nearly knocked off her feet. When the wind died down, only the wild flowers lay scattered amongst the graves and she kneeled and gingerly to pluck a dandelion from the ground. She straightened when she felt a spike of yoki brush against her consciousness.

Something slithered in the grass, and she unsheathed Inuyasha's sword, and brandished the untransformed fang as she backed away slowly.

"Show yourself." She goaded. Suddenly, yellow eyes flashed, and a scaled yokai raised its head and sprang itself towards her with bared grisly fangs.

Kagome didn't have time to run, and she knew that she had to keep her wits about her. With lightning speed, the demon struck and before she could defend herself it sunk its teeth in her shoulder and she cried out in agony. Kagome rolled on the ground and kicked the beast away from her, when she got to her feet she felt a sharp shooting sensation that spilled down her shoulder.

"I won't go down so easily." She hissed and lifted tessaiga above her head, bringing the blade down like a stake and impaled the beast. The beast screeched with hate before it succumbed to the blade. She blinked away the black spots from her vision and hoped she was going to be alright.

A shadow fell across her, and she weakly held the rusted blade up to defend herself.

"Are you okay?" She blinked at the handsome young man, who wrapped a hand around her shoulder as she swayed unsteadily on her feet. He looked at her dazed expression, and inspected her wound. _Poison._

"You must come with me at once, I'm a doctor and I can help treat your wounds." She nodded mutely, and he supported her with an arm around her shoulder. Something brushed against his consciousness and Suikotsu turned and looked beyond the dead carcass and into the rolling sleepy meadow. He trembled when a wave of nausea hit him.

The doctors headache returned full force, and he nearly toppled over the woman as his vision swam.

"Are you alright?" Kagome said in alarm as the doctor looked like he just saw a ghost.

Suikotsu's eyes were fixed on the graves and in an instant, he saw the faces of the deceased looking at him with angry accusation. Kagome slapped the doctor's cheeks twice, as he came back to reality and looked down at her with a stunned expression.

"Snap out of it!" She ordered.

"T-Thank you." He said after a moment of silence, and he was unsure whether to thank the woman or balk at her.

They made it back to his hut in one piece.

The doctor busied himself on the woman as he began to break out in a cold sweat. She had dozed off after he gave her something for the pain and to make it easier for him to treat her. Suikotsu heard a voice slice tersely into his consciousness as he stilled from the command. _Kill her_.

He felt both hands encircling her throat, and for a second, his hands protruded into claws. The doctor shouted with fright.

"No!" He backed away from his patient. After several moments, only his laborious breathing fills the hut, and he gave himself a good shake. This wasn't the time to lose it, he mentally chided himself even as his hands trembled. With precision, he worked tirelessly to treat and cauterize the wound.

She was lucky that the breed of snake yokai that attacked her was common enough around these parts that he had an antidote on hand. He was curious about the collection of battle scars that lined her body. She would've been a beauty, the young doctor thought whimsically.

When he was done, the sun had already begun to set. He reached in his cabinet for his special brew of rice liquor and began to drink liberally from a bamboo flask. It was the only cure that seemed to work for his condition, and made the impulses to bring harm to others slowly ebb away.

He whirled around in a stupor when he felt something watching him and with deadened eyes, he looked in confusion at the young woman who was still sleeping off the drugs he gave her. For a split second his vision blurred and, when he blinked her faced morphed into the visage of one of his former patients claimed by the plague, and her eyes glared with the same angry accusations of the dead

"N-no." He began to shake and tremble, finally breaking down in tortured sobs.

Kagome winced, and squinted at the blubbering doctor as her head pulsed.

"Do you mind keeping it down?" She rubbed her temples, and felt lightheaded as the pain-relieving herbs he gave her began to wear off.

He drunkenly got to his feet, and to her utter embarrassment he kneeled prostate in front of her, as she began to grow uneasy.

"Tsuki, please forgive me. I was too incompetent to save you." The doctor groveled at her feet, and she rolled her eyes skyward as she smelled the reek of alcohol on his breath. Kagome eyed her robe and with clenched teeth, she shrugged it on.

She needed to see Inuyasha. That gave her a burst of strength, as she grabbed tessaiga laying by her side and used it as a crutch to stand.

"Look pal, I'm not your Tsuki." She began, but suddenly a plan began to form, and she wondered if the doctor was drunk enough for her to use his guilt to her advantage. "But you have wronged me, and I have come back from the grave to exact my revenge." The young doctor began to sob in earnest.

"I didn't mean to. I never meant to." She did roll her eyes this time.

"I'll forgive you. But you must do one thing for me."

He seemed to sober up, as he hugged her feet.

"Anything, I'll do anything."

"Take me to where the demons are being held."

He drunkenly acquiesced and they journeyed through the thick of night to the foot of Mount Moro.


	8. Chapter 8

Kagome gritted her teeth as the dull ache returned full force and her body protested the strenuous climb through the rugged terrain after such a trying ordeal. _Just a little longer_. She promised herself as she blocked the pain and limped behind the doctor.

They reached a temple, that stretched across the small valley surrounded by the mountains and it included a complex of shrines, living space for the priests, and training halls.

The prison loomed in the distance and consisted of a wooden fence made of planks where two small buildings stood to confine captives. Before the pair could enter the grounds, two guards appeared.

"Halt! Who goes there?" Two monks raised their staffs to stop the trespassers, but when they saw the familiar face of the doctor they visibly relaxed.

"Doctor, what brings you out to the temple grounds at such a late hour?" They knew the doctor to be a strange man, he seldom followed custom but because of his close ties to the head priest, the monks often pardoned the doctors small acts of sacrilege.

They turned to the female and they both shared an unflattering look. Women were not allowed on these grounds, and their mere presence could affect the delicate workings of the temple.

"This lass is dying, and her last wish is to make her peace with this realm and see the holy man." Suikotsu swayed and easily lied between his teeth, as the monks traded bewildering looks. They glared down at the woman and the wretch had enough nerve to stare back, bold faced and proud.

But they had to remember that it was the doctor who had made countless sacrifices in their time of need, and who saved a great deal of their people from the plague with his medical genius. They nodded slowly and allowed them both to enter. Kagome released a breath that she didn't know that she was holding.

Once they reached deeper into the compound, she rushed past the doctor and made a bee line for the prison which was strangely unguarded. Her heart fluttered when she yanked opened the doors, and she was expecting to come across the half demon, instead the prison cell was empty and smelled faintly of urine and blood.

 _What's going on here?_ She began to get a bad feeling when she tried to get a read on Inuyasha's aura, instead she felt a wave of malicious yoki that caused her heart to hammer in her chest. Her eyes flitted behind her and she wondered if the monks could feel what she felt. Something told her to keep going.

Kagome followed her instincts, and kept to the shadows as she stumbled upon a ladder leading down into a small cave. She tucked Inuyasha's sword in the back of her robes, as the fang began to thrum. _I know, they must've carried him down there._

Kagome took a deep breath, and slowly made her way down until she was swallowed in darkness. She jumped the short distance when she reached the last peg, landing with a soft thud. Kagome whirled around when she felt something slither just behind her and she crouched in defense and whipped out the sheathed blade, straining her eyes.

She made a small noise in the back of her throat when a strange light floated just out of her reach and she flinched as it drew nearer. The light made a circle around her, as if trying to get her attention and somehow the simple action eased her fear as she straightened to her full height.

"You want to show me something?" Kagome couldn't shake the sense of foreboding that snaked through her as the ball of light grew brighter and she sent a silent pray that she would be strong enough to face whatever was in store for her. "Alright then, let's go."

She followed her guide down a path of winding tunnels until they came to a standstill on a mossy ledge, and she was overlooking a field of light. Kagome squinted as she looked closer, and realized that the lights were really globes filled with humans trapped in an amber like substance. She flitted over the faces of comatose women, children, and the elderly, as a tremor shot down her spine.

Kagome backed away and clapped her hands over her mouth, as her mind flashed to the mass of graves in the sleepy meadow as tears blurred her vision. These villagers were the disappeared and no one would suspect that they were being held captive in some tyrant's nefarious plot. She shook her head in disbelief, and she wondered if this was what the monks were protecting and whether this was a part of their so called divine order.

The ball of light circled around her impatiently, as she wiped her face and continued to move forward. As they descended deeper into the cavernous hall, she felt a spark of rage and wanted to meet the callous engineer behind this scheme. Something inside of her answered.

Without warning, a spike of demonic energy prickled at her consciousness and she reeled back into the shadows, as a lumbering bull yokai entered with a fresh round of subjects. Her pulse quickened as she saw a familiar flash of red. _Inuyasha!_ But something was wrong with the half demon lord. He was unconscious, and he was human.

Kagome felt faint as she watched the demon encase Inuyasha and a handful of humans from the village in an egg like shell and their bodies remained suspended in the amber fluid. When it was done, it peered cautiously through the rows of eggs close to where she was hiding, and she thought that she had been found out. She closed her eyes, and gripped tessaiga. But the demon began talking to itself in low, conspiratorial tones.

"The boss won't mind if I took one for myself. Hell, it was my genius that made these beauties, I should get to enjoy it. The greedy bastard wants to hoard them all for himself." It rasped, and she cracked open her eyes as she watched the demon approach an egg where a child was frozen inside and curled in fetal position.

She watched in horror as the demon consumed the child and globe and smacked its lips in satisfaction. Suddenly, the cave began to pulse. Kagome threw her hands over her head, as something shook the ground and she realized that it was the bull yokai causing the disturbances. She watched in horror as its horns grew twice in size, its muscles bulked up, and a pair of spindly wings sprouted from its back.

The demon tipped its head back and laughed.

"The shikon jewel lives." It burped loudly, and made its way out of the cavernous hall. _The shikon jewel? it can't be!_ Kagome's face paled and began to take on a feverish glow, when she turned to her guide she saw that the ball of light began to dim, until at the last moment, the ghostly shape of a child materialized and smiled sadly before fading away.

She felt that she had somehow failed as she stood in stunned silence and tried to process everything that she just saw. _Souls. Hundreds and hundreds of human souls. But for what purpose?_

She had never known demons to be intelligent enough to try to create a jewel like the relic of legends. As she scanned each row and peered into the comatose faces, understanding dawned as she felt her skin crawl. _They couldn't find the original jewel, so they decided to create something like it. And this is the result?_

She was beginning to believe that such thing should have never existed in the first place, especially if pain and suffering was the result. _Always the result_. Her mind whispered with finality.

It took her several more moments to find her courage, until she made her way to the globe that Inuyasha was trapped in. She used tessaiga to slice open the gel like substance and reached inside to pull the half demon turned human out. Kagome had to suck in a pained gasp as the amber liquid stung her arms.

She used her robes to clean the liquid off Inuyasha to the best of her ability and felt for his pulse. He was alive, but his breathing was hitched and shallow. She slapped his cheeks gently.

"Inuyasha. We have to get out of here." She whispered softly, and tried again when he didn't respond.

"Something really dangerous is going on, and we have to leave now."

Inuyasha began to groan, and she sighed in relief as his violet eyes fluttered open. It took a second for his eyes to adjust to the darkness, and he tried to get up but felt his strength leave him.

The last thing he remembered was being led into the holy grounds where those cowards chained him in their prisons and then a burning sensation rippled through him and he lost consciousness. A shadowy face flashed through his mind, but he could not penetrate the black cloud shrouding his memories.

"Kagome?" She nodded mutely, and he was relieved that she was okay and ashamed of himself that she had to see him like this.

"We can't keep meeting like this." He let out a weak chuckle, and he was bombarded by her nearness and he wanted to reach out and touch her. He had wanted to see her, he had secretly hoped that she stayed away especially when he wasn't sure that he could keep her safe in his weakened state.

He inhaled her scent and felt a familiar warmth flood through his chest.

"Are you keeping score?" She gave a breathy laugh and her eyes sparkled, as his eyes settled on her mouth.

"No, are you?" His voice dropped to a lower register, as a thrill shot through her and she felt butterflies flutter in her stomach. He reached up and brushed a thumb across her cheek.

"No." She whispered, holding still and leaned into his touch and that was all the reassurance he needed as he cupped the back of her head and claimed her mouth in a kiss, reveling in the feel of her soft lips.

The kiss started slow and built up in urgency, as she pressed her fingers on his back in encouragement and desire spiked through his body. He poured in everything he felt but didn't have the words for and hoped that she got the message.

His hand moved to the curve of her hip as he deepened the kiss, devouring her sweet mouth. When he accidently brushed against her shoulder, she sucked in a sharp breath and it was too late for her to disguise the sound. He reluctantly broke away from her and sat up.

"You're hurt." He said seriously, his voice roughened with want. He leaned down to press his cheek against her head, and breathed in the scent of her hair as he tried to regain control of his raging instincts.

"Show me."

Kagome was under a spell as she turned her back, and gingerly shrugged out of her robe, and he sucked in a breath at the ugly scar that was forming on her shoulder blade.

"It was a low level yokai, but I didn't have anything except for your blade. I met a young doctor from this village and he helped patch me up." She sighed as she righted her clothing. Something inside of her slowly caved in, as she turned and told him everything that happened since he went missing.

He didn't interrupt her or interject, but when she was finished she had given in to the fear and began to silently sob as she managed to release the pent-up sadness and fear over his wellbeing that had been driving her. Inuyasha simply held her.

"Feh. That doctor sounds like a creep. But we need to move out of here. You're right, those bastards are cooking up something really nasty and I don't like it." He helped her get to her feet, and he graciously took tessaiga and jammed the sword in his belt.

She gave him a small smile and nodded as they made their way back through the tunnels.


	9. Chapter 9

A shadowy figure moved with a sense of urgency as he descended to the depths of the mountain. He felt a disturbance earlier and was too close to fulfilling his mission to let anything ruin it.

Something had virtually passed through his field of awareness, and it took him a great deal of effort to notice that something was moving about his lair. The demon lord clenched his fist, as a spark of unease caused him to flatter, yet he could not help but feel a sense of curiosity as a strange hunger rippled through him. Hyoga was not known to be a very patient lord, but he was cautious, relied on his intuition, and was rarely wrong about his suspicions.

When he had taken over the human village, he had connected every living being to the web of his own awareness. The demon lord felt their comings and goings, and knew when they died off from illness or natural causes. If he circled long enough in their psyches, he could even pick up on their deepest, and most private desires.

The sickly humans had been rounded up, their souls harvested, and after his taxing experiments of trial and error, they were ready for consumption. The plague had been the perfect cover to conduct his affairs as the naïve doctor still tried in vain to find a cure, and the fearful monks were too busy looking for an outside enemy to prosecute for their epidemic rather than looking within.

In the darkest recess of his mind, the demon lord could hear the souls of his victims cry out for release, as their pain gave him great pleasure. They would serve a far greater purpose than their puny human lives could ever amount to, their lifeforce would not go to waste. Deep down, the demon lord knew that he was doing the world a favor by ridding the earth of such vermin.

He walked a great distance before coming to a rugged archway where a collapsed statue of the fabled bodhisattva stood, and he stared into the solemn eyes of the sanctimonious monk before rage consumed him. _Foolish vermin, I detest these puppets masquerading as demagogues._ He kicked the rubble away with no amount of satisfaction as a family of bats fluttered restlessly, unsettled by the noise.

He moved towards the soft din of a waterfall and came to a standstill. Hyoga carefully stretched his awareness and found that no one had come to this place. Slowly, his eyes travelled over the shimmering pools of water, slabs of mossy rocks, to rest on a pair of stone pillars that stood like sentinels. In between the pillars stood an ornate gateway that was still sealed shut.

The demon lord's eyes closed in relief, internally chastising himself for being paranoid. Everything was as it should be and there was no reason to be wasting energy acting like a spooked guard dog.

 _Soon, my children, soon. The hell gates will open, and you will walk the realm of the living once more._ He smiled darkly to himself as he imagined his kin rising from the ashes _. And I will rewrite history._

By a stroke of luck, Hyoga had stumbled on a means to devise a full proof way to gain the power he sought without bending to the will of a human lord, who was busy chasing after a bauble like a crazed fool.

When the moon reached its peak over the boulder plains, he would use the magic harvested from those wretched humans to wrench open the hell gates, and his children would live once again. He dreamed of an empire and nothing but an army from the hellfire's could stop him now. Hyoga could already hear is blood singing in his veins as he tasted victory.

The demon lord was interrupted, when he heard heavy footfalls approaching swiftly and his human glamor rippled in place reflexively. For a second, the demon lord thought that it was the clannish monks who had come to know him as their beloved head priest. A spike of disdain caused his lip to curl in a half sneer. When Hyoga sensed that it was just his lumbering servant seeking him without invitation, the demon lord turned a menacing eye on the bull demon cloaked in shadows.

"What do you want, oaf?" Hyoga spat, irritated at having his private moment interrupted. His human glamor disintegrated, as he appeared more moth-like than humanoid now that he knew he was safe from discovery. The demon lord had become increasingly withdrawn as phase two of their plans approached swiftly.

"My lord." The bull demon bowed and began to shift nervously as it sensed its masters uneasiness. It had learned to stay out of the ill-tempered lord's way as much as possible. "I just went to check on the new batch, when I discovered that something terrible has happened. We have an intruder in our midst and one of the humans we've captured has escaped. Forgive me for my carelessness master." The bull demon finished with trepidation as it watched its masters face for a reaction.

Hyoga worked very hard to keep his expression neutral, as he focused on his breath. Rage swept through him like an inferno. He had to turn his back on the bull demon, so he wouldn't follow the urge to lash out. After painstakingly calculating the amount of energy that he needed, Hyoga had given his servant special instructions to handle the recent captures with care.

"How long ago was this?" Hyoga asked in a deathly quiet tone of voice, as the fool seemed to flatter, while trying to dredge up an answer that would please the demon lord. If the bull demon was honest, it had the sense to know that it was at fault. Privately, the demon did not see the point of keeping watch over the humans when it could not freely indulge its appetite. It knew that if it told its master the truth that it would risk losing its head.

"It could've been after sunset my lord."

"I see... Do you understand what this means? The ceremony must take place tonight, otherwise those pests we've troubled ourselves with will go to complete waste. I trusted you with one simple task, and look how you handled it." Hyoga spoke in a flat, measured monotone.

Something began to dawn on him as his eyes flickered over his servant, and noticed for the first time the changes in the bull demon's physique. Understanding made him stop in the middle of his rising tirade.

"You've been eating them again, haven't you?" The demon lord accused coldly, and the bull demon began to tremble, as a panicked look replaced its growing nervousness, and fear nearly made it trip over its feet as it tried to back away.

"No master, you have it all wrong. I can get new humans to replace the one who escaped."

"No, don't trouble yourself, your blood will do." Hyoga bit out as his servant began to plea in vain. The foolish brute tried to run from him, and the demon lord unfurled his wings and flew over his servant's head, landing calmly in front of the beast.

"Master, please!" The bull demon cried out as it collapsed to its knees. Hyoga's eyes glinted with cold apathy, as he regarded the pathetic sight before him.

"You have failed me. You are defective in both mind and spirit, but fear not. You are still of use to me." The demon lord wasted no more breath, and with one quick motion he unfurled his tongue that struck like lightening and he sucked the life from his servant until nothing was left but a dry husk.

The bull demon proved to be a satisfying meal, he felt his irritation fade and stepped over the remains of his servant to stand by a pool of water.

"Show me the intruder." He commanded the waters, and slowly a picture began to form in waves. Hyoga saw two figures retreating down the tunnels and he recognized the male as one of the captives, he vaguely remembered the band of prisoners the monks had rounded up. The demon lord knew that the half breed would cause trouble, and he narrowed his eyes. The second intruder was a woman who was not from the village. He recognized that from her tattered garb, that she was a priestess. _So that is the wretch who has breached my defenses._

Hyoga's eyes roved over the human woman's face with interest. There was something familiar about her, and he felt a nameless hunger stir inside of him. It was different from the normal hunger he felt towards humans who were nothing more than cattle to him. A primitive darkness rose up inside of him, possessing him easily as he felt his unease return. _A half breed and a priestess, they will more than make up for my loss._

"That woman, there is a glow about her…but such darkness in her heart." He would use that to his advantage. Hyoga felt a small spike of trepidation rise the longer he watched them, and his instincts warned him that the woman was dangerous.

"No matter. They will both be sacrificed to a greater cause, and my kin will be revived." He reasoned lightly with his instincts and with the wave of his hand the images faded.

Hyoga took his time as he went in search of his prey.

* * *

"Inuyasha did you feel that?" Kagome looked behind them and froze. Something was watching them. Her skin began to crawl, and she got the strange impression that something was reaching for her. She imagined that they were caught in a disgusting web, and whatever sprung the web became aware of its next meal. On reflex, a barrier crackled around them, and Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow.

"What's that for? I didn't feel anything." But his senses had been stripped from him, so he couldn't really know for sure if Kagome was just being paranoid. He tried to keep his worry under wrap for the sake of Kagome and hoped that they could hightail it out of this creepy mountain as fast as possible.

"Something is…something is trying to track us, and I have a really bad feeling." She whispered, furrowing her brows as she tried to communicate what she was feeling. He reached for her and squeezed her hand. She squeezed back in reassurance and lowered her guard.

"Don't think about it. I think that we're close to the surface. It's faint, but I can feel a draft of wind up that way." Inuyasha said with confidence as he tried his best to comfort her. She nodded, and they continued their trek back to the temple as fast as they could. Kagome tried her best not to worry as her mind flashed back to the human captives. Inuyasha had promised to come back and investigate, once his strength returned.

Between Inuyasha's dulled strength and her weakened condition, she wasn't sure if they would make it out okay if whatever was tracking them caught up to the pair. _That bull demon couldn't have been the only demon down here, could it? And those people, god! What kind of monster could cook that up? Somehow, I feel like this is all my fault because they were looking for that wretched jewel and if it wasn't for that Inuyasha and all those people wouldn't have been dragged into this mess._

Kagome worried her bottom lip with her teeth, as she cast a look behind her shoulder to peer into the darkness as Inuyasha tugged her along. _This is all my fault_. She couldn't stop the self-destructive thought from worming itself inside of her heart. They turned a sharp corner before the first miserable tear squeezed past her defenses and trailed down her cheek.

"Hey, what's that look for?" Inuyasha flattered and turned to look down at her, and she was unsure how to respond to his concern as she tried to discreetly dab at her eyes. Internally she cursed herself for being so weak, there was no time for self-pity or guilt. Her eyes slid away from his intense violet eyes to stare at the ground between them. Several more moments passed before she mustered the courage to speak.

"It's hard not to think about how crazy this all is. It seems like its always one thing after the next, you know? Sometimes it just feels like I'm a magnet for bad news." Kagome spoke quietly, as she secretly confessed one of the burdens that had been weighing on her heart. She felt her voice flatter as she lifted her head to stare into his eyes. "What if…I'm the reason for all of the demon attacks that's been happening?"

She felt another tear slip on its own violation and she tried to turn away so that he wouldn't see them. Inuyasha sighed as he gently turned her head back to him and regarded her fatalistic eyes glittering with unshed tears.

Inuyasha used his thumb to pull her bottom lip out of her teeth. He had his own suspicions and theories about the strange priestess, but for now he brushed them aside.

"Lighten up, would you? This world ain't exactly the easiest to live in and what we saw back there is in no way the tip of the iceberg. We'll get these bastards, I promise Kagome. But we can't do anything about it now. Besides, now that I'm here nothing will harm you. When are you going to stop worrying about the future so that I can protect you?" He said seriously, and she felt a familiar fluttering in her chest as her eyes widened a fraction.

She wondered if this was the same brash half demon lord who she had met a little less than a fortnight ago. Her cheeks flushed with color when she thought back to the kiss that they shared, and when he reached for her again to gently grasp her hand, she felt a thrill of electricity that made goosebumps rise on her arms.

A tiny part of her recoiled in fear. _He couldn't possibly mean that. If he knew me, the real me…_ Kagome couldn't let herself finish that thought, she had been putting off addressing what was on her heart, and she didn't want to get caught up in the vortex of her feelings. She felt a compulsion to tell him about the jewel, but when she opened her mouth she felt a wall of resistance pulling her back.

"Inuyasha I..." She began to respond, but without warning, the earth began to rumble beneath them and water began gushing from the mouth of an unnerving bodhisattva statue at an alarming rate. By some unknown force of magic, the walls began drawing closer and closer together, threatening to crush the pair.

"Shit!" She heard Inuyasha grunt, as he grabbed her hand more firmly and they raced deeper into the tunnels.

"Inuyasha, make a left here, now!" Kagome listened to her instincts, and he sharply turned the corner and behind them the walls hissed closed. They were surrounded by a turquoise spring and a beam of moonlight shone down in the rocky grotto confirming Inuyasha's suspicion that they were close to the surface.

"Damn that was close, how'd you know to turn left?"

"Lucky guess." She shrugged and quickly averted her eyes as she tried to look for another exit, but he rested an arm on her shoulder to stop her. Her body language said otherwise, and Inuyasha rolled his eyes.

"Kagome…is there something that you're not telling me?"

"Do you really want to have this conversation now? We nearly got crushed to death less than two seconds ago." She didn't mean for anger to seep into her voice, and when she saw that there was only concern in his eyes, Kagome felt the fight leave her. "I'm sorry, you didn't deserve that." She corrected herself and took a deep breath. When she opened her mouth, Kagome felt a barrage of whispers assault her psyche as something lurched in her chest.

Without wanting too, she heard them. The disembodied voices of the captured villagers sliced tersely into her consciousness, their chaotic desires possessing her and becoming her own. She let out a wordless cry as she was overwhelmed by the barrage of images that assailed her. She saw their dirt _streaked faces_ , a flash of their tensed terrified expressions.

The mothers, childrem, elderly—some crying, some shouting horrible curses at the shadow moving over them ...She saw them, alive. Moving about their mundane lives, their faces puffed up from fatigue and stress ...then growing exceedingly pale and cold. They were plunged into an icy darkness as an ornate gate slowly creaked open and red, hot light bloomed.

Her eyes had glazed over, as she felt something inside of her answer to the chaotic vortex of their deepest yearning. Freedom.

Kagome slowly came back to herself, crushed in Inuyasha's arms. His face swam in her vision, and she suddenly felt spiritually and physically drained. Inuyasha was speaking to her, but she was having difficulty hearing him. She shook her head, as if trying to dislodge the voices in her head which had faded, and their faces floated away.

"Shh… I'm here." Inuyasha whispered as he tried to get over his own shock and fear over the woman's wellbeing. He wrapped his arms tighter around her trembling body and simply held her as his mind began racing. Inuyasha knew that she was keeping secrets from him. He could see the darkness clouding her eyes when she thought he wasn't looking. _Why won't she just trust me god damnit._ He gritted his teeth and felt helpless and wished that he could stop whatever invisible forces were assaulting her.

"Inuyasha?" She began to move, and he lessened his hold helping her sit up. An unreadable expression crossed her face as she weakly gripped the front of his robes and he was haunted by her eyes that glowed with an eerie light.

"What is it?" He asked cautiously as he supported her getting back on her feet in one fluid motion.

"We have to go back and save those villagers. We can't just leave them and come back like we planned. They won't survive if we leave them now." Kagome uttered with conviction, and he looked down at her like she just sprouted a second head. Inuyasha was already convinced that the wench was half crazy.

"Have you finally lost it, woman?" He exploded as his fear receded.

Kagome didn't get to warn him about her vision because suddenly the pool of water began steadily gurgling and then intensified as a whirlpool began to grow. Inuyasha instinctively pushed her behind him as a thrill of dread shot through her.

Hyoga emerged from the watery depths and unfurled his wings, the shimmering pearl and blues catching the moonlight. Inuyasha let out a human growl as Kagome stared in disbelief at the moth demon hovering in the air as he looked down at the pair with contempt.

"Who the hell are you?" Inuyasha demanded as his hackles rose.

"I am Hyoga, and I'm so glad I found you." Hyoga smiled without humor. "I have to give you some credit for getting this far, but the games are over. I'm afraid that I can't let either of you leave." The demon lord said in a syrupy voice devoid of genuine concern.


	10. Chapter 10

Kagome found herself lost in the all enfolding shadows. She felt terribly weak, her skin twitched and her insides felt hot and sore. There was a low hum penetrating the darkness, and an acid odor wafted through the air.

It took only a moment for the thick fog in her mind to clear before she remembered a sudden flash of white, a ghastly face submerged in shadows, and a jarring bodily sensation accompanied by searing pain, then nothing. _Am I …dead_? She felt a certain weightlessness, even as a nameless hunger settled deep inside her.

"No, it can't be..." But the dampness began to seep under her skin, as the same hunger coiled tight in her belly somehow confirming her suspicions. Through some force of unnatural magic, she was thrown into the rent between this world and the next. If she was completely honest with herself, Kagome didn't know for certain if she was here by accident, or if this was the end of the road.

Kagome could only listen to the din of heavy footfalls fading in the distance, the fiendish screams rising to a high pitch, then ceded by chilling laughter.

Despite herself, a sharp chill brushed the back of her skull causing all her muscles to tense. Behind her, a flash of yellow light pulsed in intensity and she raised her hand to shield her eyes. She managed to crack one eye open in time to catch a glimmer of something silver slithering above her head and when she craned her neck, she spotted the large eel like creature carrying a shimmering ball of light. She had the unsettling feeling that she had experienced this before.

The demon let loose a hiss as it passed over her head, but otherwise went on with its business and left her unscathed. Curiosity filled her, and she decided to follow the creature. _It's not like I have a lot of options._

A scorching, biting wind picked up, mingled with the sound of audible moans and she uttered a small prayer under her breath as she pulled herself forward. The ground beneath her felt hot an unbearable, while the unnatural maelstrom brought the stench of the undead.

Kagome steadied herself as she climbed over a small stretch of cliffs, until she reached a plateau where the wind, rebuffed by the rocky hills gusted over an island of bones. The wind whispered a warning, telling her to turn back before it was too late, but she brushed the voice aside and edged to the far end of the bank.

A woman was bathing with her back turned, seemingly unbothered by the hellish landscape. Kagome felt voyeuristic, as the woman in the river hummed under her breath and methodically splashed a wooden bucket of water over her head. It was such a mundane act, the ordinariness of it caught her off guard. Without warning, the eel like demon circled over the murky river, and she acted unconsciously.

"Hey, watch out!" Kagome yelled, as the eel-like creature snaked itself around the woman. Kagome acted on instinct as she rushed to find the biggest stone that she could find and charged it with her spiritual energy, before hurling it with all her might.

It hit the demon with a sickening thud, and the creature disintegrated into grey ash as its cargo slipped into the water, causing the surface to bubble violently before the murky waters churned into a blood red.

The woman in the river stilled and slowly turned to face the intruder, she raised her ghostly pale fingers to part a curtain of black hair still plastered to her face. Kagome caught the blistering stare and audibly gasped. It was like looking in the mirror, but there was a cold gleam in her reflections eyes. Her mirror image regarded her with an unfriendly scowl, and began to silently wring out her hair, and flipped the webbed strands in annoyance.

"I've been expecting you." The other woman said simply.

"You're me. How is that possible?" Kagome stared in disbelief, her knees sunk into the damp soil, where the other woman stood like a statue as rivulets of water caused her skin to glisten and gleam with an otherworldly glow. Kagome made the mistake of looking down in the cool water, when she first caught sight of _them_ , and felt her blood turn to ice.

Kagome doubled over as she saw the decapitated heads of the village women from the cave. Their glassy, hollowed eyes staring up at her with cold accusation, jolting her memory.

"What is the meaning of this?" Kagome's breath thickened in her throat.

"I don't know, you tell me priestess." Her reflection drawled out, the voice heavy with self-amusement. The other woman stretched languidly, and Kagome felt a flush of anger at her reflections nonchalance.

"Why you murderer! What have you done to these women?" Kagome shouted in accusation, momentarily forgetting her shock.

"Don't be such a fool, and use your head for once girl. I'm a mere gatekeeper in this realm, and I would never take credit for someone else's work. _You_ made a wish before you entered this realm, _you_ opened the gates and it was _your_ wish that set them free." Kagome's mirror image spoke snidely, and watched in satisfaction as the struggle broke across Kagome's countenance as she was forced to soak up all the information.

"I- I didn't. I don't remember, I only wanted…" Kagome stumbled backward, her thoughts moving in circles. Inwardly, she winced at the child-like quality creeping into her voice.

"Oh honey, you did. You made a wish. You wanted to set these miserable wretches free, did you not?" Her mirror image cocked her head, and the sympathetic smile that blossomed on her face didn't fully reach her eyes. "Oh dear, you haven't learned, have you? The jewel never truly grants anyone their true wish." The other woman tusked softly.

"I didn't mean too." Kagome was swept up in an inner battle, as she fought with her conscience. She felt the weight of the other woman's words, that struck like sharp blows and she knew that the woman was telling the truth.

"Poor thing. It must be hell being such a walking disaster, you really don't have a clue about how much damage you cause, do you?" The other woman said lightly as she shook the remaining water from her hair as she advanced to the bank until she was about arm's length.

"What do you mean? I've done nothing but stick my neck out and make sacrifices for everyone. This wretched jewel has done nothing but twist my intentions. You think I did this on purpose? I was forced to protect something that only causes harm and destruction." Kagome's self-pitying spell was broken as she edged her voice with some steel. Kagome knew that whoever this woman sporting her face was, she was bad news.

On cue, her mirror image threw her head back and laughed, it was a shrill mocking laugh that made Kagome cringe, and when her mirror image was done she paused to wipe tears from her eyes. Her mirror image crouched to meet Kagome eye level, and brushed her cheek almost lovingly. Kagome hissed as a mild shock caused her to reel back to put some distance between them.

"You really are something else, aren't you? And to think, you were entrusted with one simple thing. It really is sad that people will die because you're such a weakling and you can't even own up to your mistakes." Her mirror image sighed with false pity lacing her voice, and Kagome balled her fists as she tried to blink away the angry tears.

"You're wrong. I never intended for this to happen. Never in a million years would I do something so callous." She said harshly, and felt her power leap and twist in her gut as she shook violently. Kagome felt herself become undone as her worst suspicions were coming true. It was as if the woman sporting her face knew all her deepest fears, and insecurities and was laying it all to bear.

"Not so fast. If you use that kind of power here, you'll cause irreparable damage and then you'll really screw yourself over. You'll attract some real nasty pest, and trust me, this place is crawling with them." Her mirror image said cryptically as she wagged a reproaching finger.

Kagome didn't care, she felt a wave a madness goad her and she lunged, tackling the other woman to the ground. She let loose a wave of her power, that crackled around her in a shimmering pink light as she pinned the other woman to the ground.

"I don't want to hear any more of your lies." Kagome said through clenched teeth, her heart thundering in its cage.

"Or what? You're going to stop me from speaking the truth?" Her reflection fired back. Suddenly, the other woman's face glowed, and Kagome watched with fascination as the features began to morph. The halo of black hair deadened, shrinking into a dull grey. The taut, young face began to sag with age. The grey eyes receded, and churned into a deep brown still full of regrets. Her reflection completely transformed, and her heart stuttered as Kagome stared down into the face of her grandfather.

"Stop this." Kagome uttered softly, almost pleading as her face rapidly draining of color. "Stop this right now!" She shouted more forcibly, and she brought her fist down right above the old man's head as her grandfather's face broke out into a disapproving frown.

"Look at me child. I died trying to protect you from that spineless weasel Kagewaki. You were chosen to protect the jewel, you were supposed to protect the clan. Yet you have run away from your duty, only thinking about your selfish desires. You have failed me granddaughter." Kagome's grandfather wailed sorrowfully, and she noticed that even his voice sounded the same and she had to get away, but her grandfather's hands reached for her holding her firmly in place.

"No!" Kagome shut her eyes, and covered her ears, as a haunting laugh sliced tersely into her consciousness, invading her mind.

Memory assailed her, and she was haunted by the ghosts of the past. Her old village sprang from the ashes and she was forced to remember those terrible events against her will.

Kagome saw herself, growing up in grandfather's tiny hut. Crawling, then walking, and growing in body and mind. She could remember her favorite warm grass mat that she had weaved for herself, the taste of fresh squeezed milk every harvest, and learning how to draw strength from the world around her.

She remembered never quite fitting in, and how the wariness of the women and children wounded her. She remembered the good, simple times, and life going about its business, like it was meant to. Until the demons began attacking. Whispers spread like wildfire that she was cursed, and that her very presence was the cause of the violence and would bring down the clan.

Kagome saw herself running in the dead of night, her head dizzy from fear as her clansmen charged after her, their faces smudged in her memory as they dragged her back. Their hands reached for her, until she could not breathe, and their rallying cry pierced the deadwoods. _Witch!_ It was the most feared word for any priestess, and without her grandfather's protection she was vulnerable to the fickleness and superstitious wrath of men. She knew what was coming next, she could feel death lurking in the shadows, as she silently begged it to take her.

Kagome thought that she was being bound by thick ropes from her memory and fought savagely, until she slowly registered that she was being dragged by her hair and tried in vain to break free from the iron grip.

"You're not him! Why are you doing this?" Kagome shouted at the ghost of her grandfather, who was dragging her to the edge of the river bank and the ghoul let out a disturbing chuckle.

"The dead cannot give solace, but I will give you all the solace you've been seeking." She heard her grandfather's voice whisper and without warning, Kagome was plunged head first into the cold river where she was faced with the decapitated heads who glared on without pity.

She felt a familiar terror in her mind, her limbs began to weaken, and she knew that she was dying. Kagome wondered for a brief second if hell had other levels, she felt the grey fog cloud her mind and thought it strange to confront her own mortality in the netherworld. Without invitation, a familiar pair of golden eyes flashed through her head, and she was filled with a sudden rush of longing. _I want to see Inuyasha._

Her mind crowded with memories of the brash half demon, his poorly disguised concern over her well being, his bright red robe dropping coolly in her lap to protect her from the cold, his brusque manner covering the depth of his gentleness that surprised and pleased her. It was the first time anyone had treated her without fear and contempt.

To him, she was simply a lost woman trying to get back to her homeland. He would never know that she was chasing after ghosts. She felt herself reaching for the image of him she conjured in the murky waters and unconsciously something inside of her answered. A sudden burst of warmth coursed through her, as she beat back the fog stealing her coherence.

Kagome gritted her teeth and used what little strength that she had to hook one of her captor's legs with her own, and hauled the doppelganger into the water. Kagome broke free, and shortly she heard a loud splash.

"Give up, priestess. You cannot escape!" The grave voice screeched as she furiously propelled herself forward.

Kagome's mind was a whirlwind. From the corner of her eye she saw a glimmer of a pale face gaining on her, and now there was no visible human traits except for a billowing cloud of black hair.

She acted unconsciously. In her mind, she imagined what she needed until she became uncomfortably aware of her shadows proximity. When the doppelganger was close enough, Kagome sharply turned and let loose a blast of energy that engulfed her foe and it gave an enraged shriek before succumbing to purification.

Kagome felt slightly lightheaded and used the remainder of her strength to kick up towards the light to break through the surface. Her lungs were burning, and she greedily inhaled as much as she could as she gave a breathy, triumphant laugh. She had never been able to call on her power so freely and for a moment she felt indestructible.

The small smile faded from her face when she remembered the price of such power, and she studied her hands. _Forget about it. I'll worry about it later. I'm going to need more than that to get out of this godforsaken place._

She pulled herself from the river and when she looked behind her, she realized that the cliffs she climbed was nowhere to be found, and she was stranded in the middle of a deadwood that was deathly quiet.

In the distance she saw a mighty swarm of demons, heading towards a throbbing yellow light that had widened into a large disc, standing out against the drab sky. She squinted, and she realized with a stab of horror that the grey skies were no sky after all, but a mass of demons of different shapes and sizes all trying to squeeze their way through the disc of light.

Kagome found herself growing weaker as she trailed after the horde on foot. She felt that with each step, she had to focus all her willpower on moving forward. Something was draining her of her energy, and she knew that it was trying to prevent her from leaving.

When she looked down at her feet, she saw that they had begun to turn a ghastly shade, somehow matching the rest of the lifeless woodlands. She was tempted to stop, but the skeletons strewn about deterred her and she knew that if she stopped now she would never leave this plane.

Dimly, Kagome thought she imagined hearing heavy footfalls that sounded like thunder. She paused, and hoped to the gods that she was being paranoid _. It's getting closer. Damn it, what now?_ Kagome shook her head in frustration and when she looked up she saw that a giant skeletal demon was indeed advancing in her direction, and was cleaving a clean path by trampling everything that got in its way.

Kagome stiffened, and hoped that the demon was just passing through. She ducked behind a patch of dry shrubs and waited, hoping that the cards would play out in her favor for once. Instead, she watched with growing trepidation as the hulking demon slowed down as it reached her hiding spot.

A skeletal hand appeared above her head and plucked her from the earth as she began to scream in protest. Kagome stared into twin pools of deadened black eyes that revealed nothing and showed no emotion, as the demon squeezed her little too tightly in its bony grip.

"I thought I smelled the reek of a priestess, oh, how the mighty have fallen." The demon eerily spoke with a great deal of familiarity that deeply unsettled her. When Kagome tried to come up with a retort, she felt as if her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth.

"I have dreamed of this moment since our last battle, and you sent me to this wretched wasteland. What do you have to say for yourself, Midoriko?" Kagome felt her patience began to wear thin. First the doppelganger with its dark mind games, and now a walking bag of bones who was confusing her for a long dead woman from fabled legends. This was becoming old fast. A bitter smile twisted on her lips and she felt a familiar rush to her head as she freely called on her new abilities. But something went wrong.

Suddenly, she felt as if her head was splitting into two, and gave a wordless cry that seemed to give the demon pleasure. Something akin to an electric current overwhelmed her senses and set all her nerves on fire, causing her back to arch as her eyes rolled in the back of her head.

Kagome found herself revisiting memories that were not her own, her thoughts were a jumble of images that came in flashes. She saw Midoriko, growing larger in her mind, beckoning her. Kagome saw how she was tested by her elders for spiritual powers at an early age, and the grueling process of being trained as a priestess. Kagome felt the scorn that was visited upon the woman whose memories she was inhabiting, as she was treated with suspicion by her clansmen.

Kagome was suddenly thrown on the battle field, where the smell of blood and soil was nauseating. The feel of her sword hacking through enemy combatants disgusted her and she felt herself wanting to vomit until her stomach was emptied. Her world was a flash of colors, voices mingling together, faces of soldiers submerged in shadow, whispers filled with speculation by the firelight, and then a yawning black chasm that swallowed her and spit her out.

Kagome felt herself slowly becoming aware of her body and her surroundings, as she came to, slumped over in the demon's grasp. _What the hell was that?_ Only the whistling leaves answered as she traveled through the deadwood's. They were closer to the disc of light, and she wondered faintly if time worked the same way in the netherworld.

"There's got to be mistake, I'm not Midoriko." Kagome slowly bit out, her words coming out sluggishly. She found a shadow of doubt lurking in her mind, and she repeated herself with more conviction until she got the demons attention.

"I'm not who you think I am, you have me mistaken for someone else."

"Miserable wretch, do you take me for a fool? If it wasn't for your meddling my clan would've risen to supremacy while you humans fought among yourself like a pack of wild vermin." The demon sneered, as her head began to throb in earnest. _I am Kagome._ She told herself fiercely, it was the only thing that she had left. Somehow that thought gave her a sense of purpose, and that was enough to whisk away the creeping dysphoria that made her feel like a stranger in her own body.

Whatever the other woman tried to show her, she had decided in that moment to find her own way. Kagome would no longer let anyone meddle and determine her future, she had already experienced the burdens of duty and the loveless work that came with it. _It's never going to end, is it? Well damn it all to hell._ _I won't be anyone's sacrificial lamb. Never again._ Her mind echoed with finality, and with much more urgency she held fast to her identity.

"I won't let anyone take it away from me ever again." Kagome said roughly to herself, a feverish light in her eyes, as something deep inside her linked with her innermost desires hummed in acquiescence.

The nameless thing fed off the volatile emotions of its oblivious host, as her desires became its own and it felt its own influence strengthen. Kagome was unaware of the shifts happening inside of her, instead she was caught in the past. She had somehow survived. Yet, despite everything she could feel the creeping threads of fate winding around her, drawing her back and she struggled internally like a wounded, cornered animal trying to break free.

Kagome vanquished the ghost of Midoriko from her mind, and she drew freely on her power without hesitation. She gave a satisfied smile, as a white, searing light surrounded her, and with a small amount of dark satisfaction she purified the hulking demon with a single touch. Its howl of pain was mingled with surprise and she watched as it succumbed and disintegrating into grey ash.

Kagome found herself falling headfirst, as she slipped through the bony hand disintegrating into fine dust and a pile of armor. She landed hard on her shoulder, and had the wind knocked out of her as she momentarily saw stars.

As she stared up at the wriggling mass of bodies, a memory came to her unbidden. Kagome thought she imagined five fingers of yellow streaks of light, blasting through the horde of demons and helping her cleave a path to freedom.

She remembered the cave, and her eyes widened a fraction. _Inuyasha_. His name was on the tip of her tongue, but she dared not utter it in this place reserved only for the dead.

Kagome gingerly got to her feet. She limped towards the throbbing yellow light as she felt that something or someone was calling her back to the land of the living, and she felt her spirit answer.

* * *

Inuyasha cursed for the umpteenth time, as he nearly dodged a mighty blast of poison from the moth demon. If he was honest with himself, Inuyasha knew that they were both stalling, and he was playing a dangerous game as he cast his eyes at the unconscious woman who was slowly being drained of her spiritual essence.

Kagome's face had grown an ashen color and he could no longer tell in his untransformed state if she was still breathing _. Shit, if I don't end this soon, I don't think Kagome will survive. I know it's almost sunrise, but why the hell is it taking so long._

Inuyasha brandished the rusty blade and Hyoga laughed at the pathetic sight. The moth demon recognized the blade as the wretched Lord Dogs blade, and he sneered in contempt.

"So, it's true, you are the wretched spawn of that worthless dog Toga." Hyoga smirked, and took pleasure as the half breed balked, as he could practically hear the idiotic thoughts churning in his head.

"How do you know my father, asshole?" Inuyasha snarled, and temporarily forgot about his growing anxiety over his companion's wellbeing.

"Hasn't anyone given you a lesson in your own history? You truly are pathetic." Hyoga drawled out, and laughed as Inuyasha begin to curse foully. Yet something about the demon lords body language said something different than what he was presenting. Something was off. The moth demon's attacks lacked heat even though he clearly had the upper hand. _I don't buy his act for one minute. What's this oversized bug hiding?_

Hyoga's eyes slid to the unconscious woman, and he found it unnerving that she was still breathing even as he harvested her spiritual powers. The moth demon watched in frustrated hunger as the woman twitched in her comatose state. _What manner of woman is she?_

Something was wrong. It was taking too long. His frown deepened as the moth demon wondered if he had somehow miscalculated. He felt the same uneasy feeling and narrowed his eyes, and wondered if he had been drawn into a trap. Perhaps it was the woman's plan all along, to deny him of his birthright and make him look like a fool.

"Hey asshole, don't look away from me when I'm talking to you. I'll show you whose truly pathetic." Inuyasha transformation happened so quickly, that it took him by surprise and the rusty blade hummed with power as he gnashed his teeth.

Hyoga sneered, as he turned on the half breed. His mind was made up. He was done playing games with such insignificant pest. He had wasted enough time, and the woman and half breed proved useless.

"Hmph. So that was the final ace up your sleeve? No matter, this was amusing but I'm afraid I'm done with my little experiment. You can have your woman back once I drain her of every drop of her life force." He said in a gravelly tone of voice, and without blinking an eye the moth demon began to glow with a white, hot light. All Hyoga's humanoid features faded completely and the demon grew twice in height, as a wave of malicious yoki made Inuyasha inwardly grimace.

Inuyasha softly keh'd, and launched himself towards his foe, but Hyoga easily evaded his blow and dived straight towards an unconscious Kagome.

Inuyasha stared in abject horror as Hyoga unfurled himself and began to drain her of her lifeforce, and Inuyasha felt an unnamable rage tinged with dread build up in him, as he sprang towards Kagome in double time.

Hyoga felt his blood sing in his veins as he got his first taste of the woman and was nearly consumed by a spike of ecstasy. He felt the power, more power than what his experiments had given him flood through him and in his mind, he saw his innermost desire flash like a sweet promise. Hyoga saw his children rise from the hellfire's as he took his rightful place among them. He could hear them, and even feel them in his memory. The moth demon could taste his resurrected empire in Kagome's blood.

"This is... the power of the real shikon jewel." His eyes widened in amazement, but his revelation was cut short as pain lanced through his left shoulder, and he stared in bewilderment at the stump of flesh that was left. The half breed had sliced his arm off, and Inuyasha landed in a crouch with the woman cradled in his arms. Hyoga's shock slowly wore off and was replaced by a murderous wrath.

"How dare you! I will make you pay for that, insolent wretch." The ruptured flesh bubbled, and begin to heal on its own accord. And the moth demon began salivating. He had just a taste, just a taste of the woman and he would not rest until he had all of her.

Inuyasha growled in warning, he knew that Kagome was barely holding on and the bastard dared lay his filthy hands on her. Her skin had begun to take a deathly grey tint. _Hold on Kagome, I'll take this ugly bastard down and you'll be back to normal. I won't let you die on me._

"You won't live to see your miserable kin resurrected. You'll have to get through me first." Inuyasha threatened as he brandished a fully transformed tessaiga.

Hyoga let out a deafening screech and the force sent Inuyasha reeling back as he flattened his ears in his hair. Before Inuyasha could gather himself for a counterattack, two things happened at once. Tessaiga begun to pulse violently, as the hell gates yawned open and a blinding yellow light flooded the cave.


	11. Chapter 11

Hyoga stilled and momentarily forgot his rage.

"Yes, it's finally happening!" The moth demon exclaimed to himself in unmasked glee. He began to let lose a sickening chuckle, that set Inuyasha's teeth on edge. Inuyasha felt the hairs raise on the back of his neck from the oncoming spike of yoki. Soon, the whole place would be swarming with demons.

Hyoga leveled a gloating sneer at the wretched half demon that tried to stop him. He looked down his nose at his foe, as a spike of mercy caused him to feel unusually generous. Hyoga stroked his chin as his eyes slid to the priestess curled in fetal position by the hanyou's feet. Hyoga involuntarily licked his lips, remembering the taste of her.

"Your wench has proved useful after all, dog. I won't be needing her from this point and you can have whatever's left of her. Send your father my regards in the afterlife." He snapped his fingers and released the young woman from his spell.

At Hyoga's command, a tremor shot through Kagome's body, she mumbled something that sounded like the half demon lord's name, and Inuyasha quickly kneeled to her side. Suddenly, the cave began to rumble violently as Hyoga triumphantly chortled and turned to the hell gates awaiting his glory.

"Damn it all. Just a little while longer." Inuyasha murmured as he quickly tore off his robe and swaddled the unconscious woman in it. She twitched sporadically, as a pained groan gave him hope that she was still on the side of the living. He strained all his senses on her vitals, and her sluggish heartbeat was his only reassurance and strengthened his conviction that he would get them out of here alive.

"You'll pay for this." Inuyasha promised darkly as he gritted his teeth in frustration. Deep down he knew that there was no way that he could protect Kagome, slay Hyoga, and deal with an oncoming horde of the undead. _Shit, I wish there was an easy way out of this_. He worried to himself.

On its own accord, tessaiga began to pulse and Inuyasha stared down at the sword in confusion. The blade began to glow the same deep red nearly a fortnight ago when he nearly fried himself on Kagome's barrier _. Tessaiga, what's the meaning of this?_ He froze in fear as he scrutinized his sword, but the only answer he received was a deep thrum that did little to reassure him.

A piercing howl boomed through the cave, and Inuyasha knew that his time was up.

When the first wave of demons crashed through the gates, a red barrier bloomed around the pair, as Inuyasha's jaw slackened and he could only stare in amazement. He furrowed his brows as he regarded the woman's profile. _Is this somehow her doing? Damn it, just when I think that I figured her out, more weird shit keeps happening_. He wondered as he narrowed his eyes and frowned in displeasure.

Inuyasha wanted to distrust his instincts. There was something about the priestess that still didn't sit right with him and he had promised himself that he would get to the bottom of it, especially if she was the one behind his swords strange behavior. He stored that theory in the back of his mind as he rolled his shoulders back and forth, and nonchalantly placed tessaiga on his shoulder.

"Come and get it, ugly shits!" He goaded as the first wave of the undead crashed into tessaiga's barrier and disintegrated into fine dust as he smirked and jammed the blade in the earth, sending five fingers of light racing towards a large swarth of advancing demons while the barrier stood strong.

Inuyasha didn't have time to dwell on the sudden change and dropped into a low crouch as demons began pouring into the cave at an alarming rate, falling over each other and their hungry eyes looking for anything moving to sink their teeth into.

He grunted in satisfaction, when the swarm succumbed to tessaiga's might and flicked the blood from his blade, as beads of sweat began to form on his brow.

Hyoga was ecstatic. The woman and the half breed were no longer any concern to him, and he stood to greet his children.

"Come my children, it is time that you rise. We will take this world first and mark a new chapter of history. Come look upon your new ruler, and you will all taste the power of glory." Hyoga began as he spread out his arms, and they came. Hulking and gaunt. They came armored and reeking of the grave, some still carrying scars from age old battles long forgotten, others mangled and no longer recognizable.

They were ghosts of their former selves. Cloudy eyed and hungry.

"Rise my children, rise! I have bought you an offering, feast and bring me their heads! "Hyoga ordered, which made Inuyasha still as he began to growl in warning. Hyoga was surrounded by his kin, but something that he said did not register.

They hesitated, and this made the moth demon angry. He had spent the last several decades for this very purpose, and he would not accept anything other than complete obedience.

"What are you waiting for? You miserable scoundrels! When I tell you to do something, you will do it." Hyoga snarled, he was slowly unraveling, and he felt his temper begin to rise. His kin did not even blink a glassy eye before the mass let lose a terrible moan and turned on their lord and Hyoga barely had time to react as they lunged for him in a starved frenzy and his infuriated screams shook the cavern walls.

Hyoga saw his dream rise, and he stretched his arm to the sky. He saw his army restored, marching through the trenches to restore his honor. Hyoga smiled faintly as he was consumed by blood hungry ghouls and in the end, his wish to be reunited with his fallen kin was granted.

"So much for that. That asshole got what he deserved." Inuyasha snorted without humor as he sent another blast of energy to an upcoming swarm.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he barely registered that Kagome gave a pained groan before she got to her knees. Like a woman swept up in her own thoughts, she slowly touched her face, she turned her hands, scrutinized her palms, and with baited breath her eyes landed on Inuyasha's back as her vision blurred with unshed tears. _I made it out alive._

Kagome felt disoriented, it was as if she had awoken from a deep sleep and her body groaned in protest as she settled in. She couldn't tell him how close Hyoga was to succeeding and extracting her power, and now she was running on empty.

She gingerly fingered the bright robe mysteriously draped over her shoulders and held it to her cheek as her thoughts raced.

"Thank you." She whispered into the familiar robe.

"Kagome? Are you hurt?" He didn't turn is back, but his ears strained towards her.

"No. Just really tired and weak. Where's Hyoga?" She felt a new awareness, a lightness that made her hyper aware that something had changed. She shook her head, as if trying to dislodge the thought from her head.

"Dead, the idiot was so wrapped up in his fantasy, he never checked to see if these bastards was cool with his shitty plan." He grunted as he hefted his blade above his head and beheaded an ugly three headed beast who fell easily under his blade. Inuyasha turned around for a split second, in that moment Kagome felt a thrill of electricity shoot through her, as their eyes met, and he offered her a small smile.

"Thank God." That was all she managed to say, as she fought with the lump lodged in her throat. Without her permission, she saw those decapitated heads of the village women and knew that they could at least have some peace.

Kagome felt the full extent of her fear, as the dull ache for home rattled around inside her. The cave faded away and the imminent danger receded from her mind. She wasn't aware that she was rocking back and forth until his voice broke through her fortress walls.

"Shit come on Kagome don't cry." Inuyasha felt the usual stab of guilt as he smelled her tears before he saw them, and she managed to pull herself back to the present. She surprised him when she let out a watery chuckle.

"You're so bad at this." Kagome wiped the stray tears with the back of her hand and mentally chided herself.

"Feh." Inuyasha grunted and rolled his eyes. "It's either I'm saving your hide from disaster, or you get all teary on me." He muttered under his breath.

Their reunion was cut short when a swarm of demons tried to overwhelm the barrier, half of them disintegrated into fine dust, as Inuyasha turned his attention away from the woman and turned his full attention on the battle.

Kagome struggled to her full height and got a handle on the situation. Kagome could tell from Inuyasha's jerky movements that he was reaching his point of exhaustion. Her intuition churned in her gut, and she inhaled sharply as she knew what needed to be done, and Inuyasha wouldn't like it.

"Inuyasha, we need to close the gates. They'll keep coming no matter what and it's only a matter of time before we'll be completely overwhelmed."

Inuyasha was so accustomed to her bombastic ideas, that he only sighed in frustration as he lightly evaded an eel like demon with a gaping maw of sharp teeth and used the momentum to slice the creature in half.

"Just tell me how, and I'll do my best." He grunted out, already disliking where ever this was heading. He heard her take several deep breaths, before continuing and instinctively knew that he wasn't going to like whatever she had to say.

"Get me as near to the portal as possible. I think I can undo the spell that Hyoga cast, but you'll have to remove the barrier for it to work." Kagome said in a faraway voice, as her mind raced to piece together information, retrieving bits and pieces of her former education that blended with a deep sense of inner knowing, and an inexplicable call to do what seemed like the impossible.

To his credit, Inuyasha didn't outright balk at her bold suggestion but he discreetly tried to search her scent for clues. He wondered if she had some secret power to test him and push him past his limits, and for one moment he heavily debated whether Hyoga's magic trick had broken her brain.

"So, you're telling me, that's the only option?" Inuyasha slowly bit out in a deathly tone of voice.

"I wish that I could make you understand, but I'm afraid that I don't have the words right now. All I'm asking is that you trust me." Kagome finally relented and hugged herself to combat the chill of foreboding that swept under her skin, lingering between them.

Inuyasha mentally sighed and wondered if the woman was finally getting under his skin. _So that's how it's going to be huh? Trust? Feh._ He mentally scowled and let loose his aggression on the swathe of demons that tried to latch on this sword.

"Fine, but after this is all good and done, I want answers." He spat, his voice full of menace, if he would've turned around he would've caught the sorrowful look and the darkness clouding her eyes. She made a small sound of agreeance. When the flow slowed down, and a considerable number of carcasses lay between them, Inuyasha lowered his blade, and he was sweating profusely.

"I hope this works." She whispered, as Inuyasha stealthily led them to as close as he could to the gaping doorways and tensed as another wave was traveling at lightning speed towards them.

"Here. Lower the barrier when I say so." He quirked an eyebrow at the authority in her voice, and he was curious about how she knew such magic but could not take his eyes off the oncoming horde to fully take in what she was doing.

He would just have to trust her.

Kagome closed her eyes, as she felt the wave of her magic rise in her like before when she was in the netherworld. She felt it flare up inside her and answer to her call as a slow warmth spread through her. Somehow it felt natural, she felt that this was the way it should be.

"Now." Kagome uttered firmly. And the barrier dropped, as Inuyasha launched himself between her turned back and screeching masses that seemed to lunge for her at once. She felt their breath over her head, snuffling and salivating, but she focused on closing the hell gates.

Kagome opened herself up to the power inside of her and felt the full extent of it. She could feel it rushing through her, and something whispered to her, goading her, promising her the universe. The same voice promised her a new fate.

She could leave this world if she wanted to, with this power she could be a ruler among men, travel a fresh path and create a new godly destiny. She would be free of suffering, free of fear, and she would never have to want for anything ever again.

Kagome trembled, as she leaned closer to the brim, something inside of her deeply twisting, leaping, as if possessing a life of its own.

"Are you alright back there?" Inuyasha's gruff voice brought her back, and she was somehow able to shut out the seductive whispers. He caught her eye for a moment and she mutely nodded and held the image of the sealed gates in her mind's eye.

The hell gates slowly hissed closed as the yellow light dimmed, and then completely faded casting the cave in darkness.

"Thank the Gods." Kagome whispered faintly, as she felt her knees knocking and knew that if something else decided to surprise them that she would be of no use to anyone.

With all the demons slain, Inuyasha slowly turned to her. Kagome wondered dimly if she was trembling, or if it was him. She leaned into him now that the threat of destruction was gone, and he caught her as she half collapsed from the exhaustion settling in her bones. She shivered as she felt his mouth ghost over her temple.

"You never fail to surprise me priestess." He pulled her more securely into the cradle of his body, and he brushed his lips against hers causing her to still, her breath hitching in her throat. Kagome was too tired to even speak, as she was leaning on him for support, and the only thing that she could do was listen.

"I was afraid, that I wouldn't make it this time. I don't even want to know how you managed to do that, how you manage to do any of the things that you do." Inuyasha spoke quietly, as he stared down at her solemnly in the darkness. Looking like he was trying to figure her out, his eyes roving over her downcast expression as he was taken aback by her.

"I'm sorry I dragged you into this." She wanted to say more, but felt the words warring for control, and finally sticking to the roof her mouth. She looked down at her feet, and suddenly became self-conscious about the mud covering her feet and the bottom of her robe.

"Don't apologize, it's been a one hell of a day. I can't wait until this is all over."

"Right, me too. The sooner the better." Kagome replied too quickly, in a strained falsetto, and he looked down at her quizzically and finally released her when she started to pull away. "We should probably get going." She continued with false cheer while she internally berated herself.

Inuyasha didn't have time to ask her what was wrong, because the cavern grounds began to shake violently.

"Shit, come on. I'm afraid this hellhole is about to cave in." He offered her his back, and she gingerly climbed up as she resolved to harden her heart. Tears welled up in her eyes, as she buried her feelings and resolved to let them go for good. _The sooner this is over, the better it'll be for both of us._

Kagome silently tried to convince herself as Inuyasha bounded through the tunnels and they found their way to the surface.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

They were nearing the southern border.

Kagome felt knots forming in her throat and chest, as she tried in vain to conceal her melancholy. She sighed deeply as she briefly glanced at the sky, contemplating the setting sun with a crinkled brow.

Inuyasha was lost in his own thoughts. He knew that he was good on his word and that soon he would return to his own affairs. There was a trading village right before the next checkpoint. He mentally calculated how many hours of sunlight they had and refused to think about anything else as he clenched his fist in his robe and trained his eyes straight forward.

"There's a trading village right before yours. I know an old man who'd be willing to take us in for the night." Inuyasha glanced at her from the corner of his eye, as he regarded her, "I mean if you want to keep going, that's fine too."

She settled her full attention on him.

"That's alight with me." She said simply, keeping up with his even pace. Kagome had promised herself that she would not make any more selfish demand, and she tried to convince her treacherous heart that this was for the best.

They had settled into an easy routine, and Inuyasha had adapted to her silence, no longer prodding her or trying to goad her to respond in the ways that he wanted. He had stopped questioning her after she had snapped on him.

They arrived at the village close to dusk, and there was a surprising handful of people milling about. Kagome tensed as Inuyasha strode confidently among a throng of humans, who bowed in reverence at the presence of the half demon lord, while shooting her mixed glances full of suspicion and disdain.

Kagome stared at the ground as a familiar sickness washed over her.

"Hey, watch where you're going." She stumbled into Inuyasha's back, and he softly caught her around her waist, and she flushed in embarrassment as the only thing that she could do was nod dumbly. She felt a familiar charge of electricity shoot up her where he touched her, and she quickly moved away from him.

"Lord Inuyasha!" A wizened voice called from a distance, and Inuyasha's nose wrinkled in disgust as he smelled the old man before he saw him. A scrawny man with bulbous eye straddled a portly cow plodded directly towards them. He was accompanied by a handsome young monk, whose golden staff jingled noisily as he kept pace with the beast.

"Totosai, you're still alive? I was half expecting that you'd keel over by now."

"Master, you're as rash as ever. Who's this young lady?" Totosai stroked his beard in appraisal, and Kagome shrunk back as her personal space was suddenly violated. "So, you finally managed to get yourself a wife, eh? Not bad young master." Totosai chortled and patted Inuyasha on the back.

"Not a chance old man. She's not my wife so shut your yap." Inuyasha replied brusquely, as his arm spasmed from the suppressed need to let loose his aggression.

"Can't you see that your making our weary travelers uncomfortable?" The monk chastised the old man and turned to Kagome with a twinkle in his eye. "Forgive him for his manners, my lady. The old goat has forgotten how to behave in the presence of beautiful women and my, what a beautiful flower you are. I'm sure you have many suitors across these lands." The monk grasped her hands, caressing her knuckles with the pad of his thumb, before placing a kiss on the back of her hand. Kagome felt three pairs of eyes on her, as she gritted her teeth and her ears began to grow hot.

"I-I beg your pardon?" She managed to stammer out, as she tried in vain to pull her hand away. Inuyasha quirked a brow at the amorous stranger and narrowed his eyes in immediate dislike.

"Hands off, bozo, don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Ah, my apologies my lord, I have a weakness for beautiful women and could not help myself. Forgive my manners for keeping you and your charge." The monk bowed stiffly, before catching Kagome's eye and winking. She had the good grace to blush, while looking slightly appalled.

The young monk's eyes lingered longer on the Kagome's face, this time his mind trying to place her in his memory. He took in her ragged priestess robes. _She has the bearings of a woman of stature, that's for sure_. _But_ _what business does this priestess have with that pompous scoundrel?_

"Now, now, that's enough teasing for tonight." Totosai stepped in, sensing that his Lord's patience was wearing thin. "Lord Inuyasha, this is Miroku of the Kazaana clan. He is a good customer of mine and was just on his way." Miroku held up a peaceful gesture, while clenching his staff in his other hand.

"You're right, Master." Miroku addressed Totosai. He regarded Inuyasha with an amicable smile, as the half demon lord scowled blackly while Kagome gently pressed a hand on his arm to stop him from acting rashly.

Miroku tried to place the feeling in his gut that he had learned to rely on. _That girl…where have I seen her before_? Instead of an immediate answer, he felt a spike of pain lance through his left arm and he winced inwardly.

"Well I must be getting along now, enjoy your stay Lord Inuyasha." He strode towards the stables and made his way to his horse, as the young monk prepared to head towards the southern border. He would leave the mysteries for another day.

Totosai shook his head in a bemused fashion as he chuckled softly and stroked his beard.

"That young man sure is piece of work. Come, I was just preparing supper and the young lady must want a bath."

"A piece of garbage if you ask me." Inuyasha muttered under his breath.

Kagome caught Inuyasha's gaze from the corner of her eye, Inuyasha shrugged, not knowing what to make of the strange encounter.

They travelled deeper into the heart of the village, until they came upon a separate compound with several huts and Kagome felt a faint brush of yoki that caused her to shudder.

"Inuyasha." She whispered in a warning, and he read the worried expression creasing her brows.

"It's fine, we're in safe territory. This is where I grew up." Inuyasha offered lightly and she was so taken aback by the casual admission that she stopped in her tracks. Kagome swallowed her words of warning, as his words had the effect of pouring ice water over her head.

She heard the faint sound of children's laughter and could see black plumes of smoke rising in the air from a nearby hearth.

"Lord Inuyasha's back!" A squeal of delight caught them both off guard, as a flurry of children came from around the bend, waving sticks and crudely made toys, as they disturbed a flock of feeding hens in their wake.

Their high-pitched voices were eager, full of excitement, and reverence. Kagome was pushed to the side as they rushed to latch themselves onto the half demon lord, who tried in vain to remain unaffected by the children's enthusiasm.

Something unsettled her about the rag tag bunch, as she felt the same wave of yoki wash over her, this time she was sure of its source. She spotted horns so tiny that they looked like bumps, and a boy with scales and an unusual tail.

 _Oh my, half demon children?_ She began to put two and two together as she smiled sadly to herself as she took in the compound with a new found understanding. _Of course, he grew up in an orphanage._

"Watch the ears, runt." Inuyasha, snatched a fox child with brimming emerald eyes, and a mischievous smile non-too gently from his head who pulled at his ears.

"Inuyasha did you bring anything back for us?" A sweet little girl pulled at his sleeve, but she was overpowered by a boisterous young boy, who pushed her out of the way so that he could be the center of attention.

"Inuyasha, you promised that you'd teach me how to fight when you returned, let's spare!"

"Are you going to stay this time?" Another voice piqued up.

"Look, look, I lost a tooth." One little girl with small horns protruding from her temples opened her mouth wide enough to reveal a gap tooth smile and she watched Inuyasha's whole demeanor change as he crouched low and allowed the children to bombard him.

Kagome was so engrossed with the strange scene that she did not register her robes being tugged gently by a forlorn child, while silver tresses and unsettling eyes the color of lilacs.

"Lady priestess, will you come with me? It's my mother, she is ill." Kagome had to bend her head to catch everything the child said, as the girls voice was barely a whisper.

"I'm afraid that I won't be of much help, it's been such a long time since I have been much help to anyone." Kagome did not mean for the bitterness to seep into her voice. The pleading in the child eyes made her hyper conscious of her raggedy robes and she rolled her eyes skyward as she felt herself caving in. "But I suppose I can take a look." She offered, and the child perked up and clasped her hand in a strong grip.

Inuyasha's ears perked up in that moment and he gave her an inquisitive look. She shrugged, not sure what to make of the request and gave a heartening smile as she acquiesced to the child.

"Come then, show me to where she's being kept." Kagome allowed the little child to lead her to a separate compound, with poorly thatched huts. Her imagination got the better of her as she imagined a younger version of the half demon lord bounding through these same walls, and she smiled to herself. She wondered what his parents looked like, and if he got his dapper looks from his father or mother.

"Shiori, is that you?" A weak, tired voice called from a makeshift bed, as the smell of decay wafted through the room.

"Yes mommy, and I brought a healer to help you." Shiori knelt by her mother and brushed a tangle of knotted black hair from her mother's eyes, revealing a sunken, painfully sallow face, and dull brown eyes. With a groan, the woman pushed herself up to a sitting position so that she met eye level with Kagome and a thrill of recognition passed through both women.

Kagome felt a familiar fear leap in the pit of her stomach. She was staring down one of the villagers from her home, and she was at lost for words.

"You." Kagome uttered lowly.

"Shiori, leave us. Go and fetch some water from the well and bring Daisuke with you since it's getting late."

Shiori did not protest, and simply bowed while secretly smiling triumphantly to herself. She was sure that mama would be well again, and she couldn't wait to tell Daisuke and the others.

An uncomfortable silence passed between the two, before the woman let out a pained groan and had to settle on her side. She broke into a sweat and Kagome kneeled to her side. She was not surprised when the sickly woman recoiled from her touch.

"You live? How can that be?" The woman rasped, as Kagome methodically changed her dressings, taking in the pallor of the woman's skin, she brushed a hand to her forehead and wasn't surprised that she was burning up. Every now and again a violent tremor shot through her, and Kagome could tell that speaking was difficult. _Widows sickness, and it's in the 3rd stage_. Kagome sighed inwardly, and her suspicion and apprehension wilted as she looked on with pity.

A gentle expression effused Kagome's expression, as she moved to boil some water, and began to prepare a poultice from the herbs that she found through rummaging through the sparse hut.

"Yes. I'm not easy to take out, after all." Kagome offered lightly and was surprised that the woman let out a breathy chuckle.

"I'm glad. I never believed half of that looney crock that the headmen whipped up, we were all scared and we needed someone to blame. I never expected to see you again, for you to meet me this way." The woman trailed off, her voice full of regret and shame.

"You were an outsider, a widow from neighboring lands. What could you possibly know? How could you possibly know what I went through?" Kagome spoke in a deathly whisper, on its own accord, she felt an old rage twist in her heart.

She remembered the ghostly faces, smudged in her memory. She felt her rage goading her as she looked down on the sickly woman, the teapot clutched in her hands. In the deepest pits of her memory she heard the thundering hoofs, felt the pain of being dragged through the mud, crucified and left to die like a scoundrel.

"Peace, priestess. I am not the one who crucified you. You forget that I am a mother of a half demon child. I was exiled from my own home after the midwife found out Shiori's heritage. If I would've stayed, they would've crucified me as well."

"What happened to the others?" Kagome composed herself and reeled in her rage. She began grinding the herbs in mortar. Her remedy would at least help ease the tremors and alleviate some of the pain.

"Dead. Or sold into slavery. There was no one to stop those blood thirsty war mongers from their wicked ways. They came looking for a miserable jewel from a children's fairy tale, and they were sure that we were hiding it. They slaughtered the elders, tortured the men, and sold the women and children into slavery. There's nothing there left but ghost." The woman finished bitterly, she didn't notice the haunted expression on Kagome's face _._

 _A miserable jewel from a children's fairy tale?_ Kagome's hand began to shake violently, as Ayame's deathly face sliced tersely into her consciousness and Koga's angry visage battling the birds of paradise. Then the power-hungry moth demon that nearly succeeded in his quest _. I think I'm going to be sick…_

"I bet you're glad, aye priestess? To know that your wrongs have been righted by those band of savages? We deserved it in the end, didn't we? We were no better than them in the end." The woman began laughing darkly to herself, before she succumbed to a violent tremor that caused her to cry out in pain. Kagome grinded the herbs with more vigor and did not respond for several moments.

"If you think you'll get any penitence from me, you'd better look elsewhere. In the end, nobody got what they wanted." Kagome mused darkly as she propped the sickly woman up non-too gently. She wanted to be done with this already. "Here, drink this. It's bitter but it should help you with the pain." Bony hands clasped hers before she could pull away and she stared into the befuddled expression of her patient.

"How can you ever forgive us?" The woman rasped as she broke down in awful sobs and pressed her face into the front of Kagome's robes. Kagome was suddenly tired, and she wished that she could trade places with the wretched woman confronting her past and her mortality as searched the ceiling for answers but could not find any.

She let the sick woman cry on her shoulders, wondering to herself if forgiveness was in her reach.

"Justice is only for the God's to mete out and we're just their shiny playthings. It's been that way since the beginning and it's not going to change now." Kagome pulled herself from the sickly woman, as she did everything that she could. She wiped her hands on a dry piece of cloth and turned to leave, mentally chiding herself to keep it together.

"I've prepared enough medicine for the next couple days, take it in the morning and the evening to lessen the fever." She said in a clipped tone. Kagome knew that there was nothing else to be done, and she left the woman to wrestle with her own demons.

Kagome stood outside of the hut for several moments, the sun dipped over the hillside, casting the cluster of huts in an earthy, auburn light. She felt the weariness settle in her bones and she wondered if she was the same woman from nearly a fortnight ago.

She wandered through the compound aimlessly, ignoring the faint growl of her stomach and the ache in her feet from a full day of travel. Kagome knew that she had to leave here immediately. No matter where she went, destruction would always follow. She was a magnet for bad news. _I'll leave right before dawn._ Her mind started racing ahead of her, as she began forming a plan. _I'll take a boat near Honshu province and once I cross the river, I won't ever look back._

"Young lady, you're going to catch a cold if you stay out here past dusk." Totosai's stern voice startled from her thoughts, and she locked eyes with the old man, who precariously held a jug of sake to his lips, as he sat cross legged on his cow.

"I'm sorry. I didn't realize how late it was. Can you please tell me where I'm sleeping tonight?" She forced herself to smile amicably. He blinked down blearily at her as if she had grown a second head and dug the wax out of his ear with his pinky before inspecting it.

"You know, you kind of remind me of someone I use to know," He gripped her chin turning her face this way or that, trying to decipher a mystery. "Yes, it's coming back to me now. Lady Izayoi use to wander the compound late at night, she wasn't the same after Lord Inuyasha's father passed." Totosai sighed, and still wouldn't release her face.

"Hey, watch it!" She pried his hands away from her face, as her skin began to crawl. She rubbed her arms and looked past the old man, "I can just find it on my own, thanks."

"Wait, forgive an old man for being sentimental." Totosai relinquished his jug of sake and looked more serious as he studied her. "I saw you leave Setsuko's hut just a while go. Inuyasha told me that you don't have any family, and we could sure use a priestess in these parts." Kagome visibly recoiled, as a stricken look contorted her face.

"I'm sorry, but I must get going now." She hurried past the old man and hung her head, as Totosai looked after her, scratching the back of his head.


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I just want to give a shout out to all the reviews so far, you all are really encouraging and wonderful. I also wanted to reiterate that this story is rated M for a reason. There are lemons toward the end of this chapter and if that sort of stuff offends you, please skip this chapter. Cheers!

* * *

Inuyasha did not have long to brood about the future.

He extricated himself from the tangle of children and when he looked up, his path was blocked by a string of men and women who caught word that the young lord was in town and followed him to the outskirts of the orphanage.

 _Now what?_ He glowered as they placed small tokens of dried fruit near his feet, as if he were a walking demigod and scoffed lightly. These were the people that his late father had taken under his charge, and Inuyasha heard his brothers voice full of scorn as their dirty, smudged faces surrounded him _. They are as loyal as stubborn pest who do not know that they have outlived their usefulness._ His brother's stony face flashed briefly in his thoughts, and Inuyasha curled his lip. _Feh. Speak for yourself, bastard._

"Welcome back, lord Inuyasha." An elderly woman bowed deeply before him, and he shifted uneasily as the small crowd began to form a tight circle around him. He was forced to take in their gaunt faces, recognizing some of the aged veterans that served in his father's army, as their fear became alive and flitted about them.

"Any word from the war?" A haggard cripple questioned and before Inuyasha had time to answer, a nervous looking man with balding hair interjected.

"Some fishermen from down the bay spotted gun boats near Honshu river. Is it true?"

"Pardon me my lord, but my family has gone missing in neighboring lands, you must save them, they're all I have left." An elderly man exclaimed, as he fell prostate and began sobbing at his feet and Inuyasha felt his muscles twitch.

A middle-aged woman, with four brown teeth chose that moment to press her half-starved infant into his chest, as she wailed about the spreading famine and the poor harvest.

Inuyasha began to panic, they were suddenly too close, as they all began talking at once. Their rapid-fire questions were peppered with doubt and anxiety, and all they wanted to do was talk about war. Inuyasha dimly wondered if half of them knew what the war was even about.

Never the diplomat, he barreled through them as he headed away from the village and towards the deep woods.

Inuyasha's head began to pound with a vengeance. He hated lingering in human settlements for too long, it reminded him of the weak. But most of all, it reminded him of his childhood and his mother.

He straightened and decided that a routine perimeter check would help him feel more like himself. The fading light began to make familiar shapes, summoning old shadows from his past.

The wind whipped through the spruce woods, and he listened to the distant hum amidst the silence as he paused to watch the stars emerge. These were the lands that shaped him into the man that he was now. He could still trace the same constellations that had guided him back to these very woods and saved his hide many a season.

His mother's ashes lay in the lush rotting earth, and it was her memory that pulled him to this place again.

When he was still young, when the memories were far more vivid than they were now, he often came to this place to quietly reminisce. Inuyasha remembered the old fables from his youth about the dead returning and coming back to life.

He listened even now, seeking his mother's voice in the creaking branches, recalling the lost thread of old conversations, and how the late sun streaked brownish red through her dark hair. _Mother, has it really been so long?_ _Those villagers seem to think that I am my father. They can't possibly look to me for guidance when I couldn't even protect you._ Inuyasha felt a familiar loneliness sneak underneath his robes as a shadow fell across his face.

Only the flurry of wind and the falling leaves answered him, brushing through his hair in a gentle caress before dying down.

His mother warned him about brooding too long over the past and looking too long at what had gone. It was not wise for him to think of his childhood home, the broad manor now shabby and broken down and sectioned off for a handful of half breed orphans sired by his late father's soldiers who had long ago moved on. Now they had become his responsibility.

In the end, Inuyasha learned the hard way that everything that he held dear would be taken away from him. Nothing was permanent

It was his own self-fulfilling prophecy, but he was stubborn enough to believe that he could redirect his own destiny by his own hand.

 _What good is brooding on what is already long and dead? I have more important things to worry about._ He thought, as he launched himself through the tree tops, pausing every now and then when he picked up some nocturnal activity.

The face of the priestess flashed through his mind and he sighed as he continued securing the village for the night. Now that he was alone with his own thoughts, he could quietly plan and speculate about the present.

There was a small seed of hope that he had been carrying since they left the treacherous mountains, and he struggled with reason for a moment before the lower faculties of his mind seized him. _To hell with reason, what good has it ever done me?_ Inuyasha silently declared.

Inuyasha tried to reassure himself unconvincingly that he was only thinking about her best interest. But he would be lying if he did not admit that he was secretly hoping that Kagome would choose to stay with him.

He knew that she wouldn't listen if he said it outright, but he had secretly hoped that these sleepy lands would stir something inside of her to make her change her mind. Inuyasha knew that she was without family, and just maybe, just maybe she could bury whatever haunted her behind her and would see things his way in the end.

It was this place where he gathered all the things that he cherished and could protect from a distance while the battlefield called him.

No demon was stupid enough to stake claim on this territory. Inuyasha's heart pounded with excitement as he raced through the tree tops.

He knew that she felt it too, what lay between them was alive and the strange magic she had over him pulled his attention back to her like a magnet.

Inuyasha secretly hoped that she would stay here, in this small reprieve from endless war and bloodshed that rippled through the lands. He was planning on asking her tonight before they set on the road first thing in the morning. _She'll be under my protection here, and I'll make damn sure that no harm comes to her._ His mind flashed to the villagers and the cobwebs in their eyes as the pungent smell of their dread made him flatter in his boyish enthusiasm.

Suddenly, Inuyasha's ears perked up as he detected rustling up ahead that caused him to skid to a halt, as he perched on a sturdy fir tree. He crinkled his nose when he picked up the scent of death.

"Oni." He sneered in disgust and gripped his blade. With predatory grace, he stalked the unmistakable sound of crunching and sloppy chewing and sure enough the beast was hunkered over a slain carcass of a pig. Inuyasha quickly covered his nose with the sleeve of his robe, as he peered down and saw a clutter of animal skulls scattered about the demon.

"Bingo, so you're the little shit that's been eating the livestock." Inuyasha dropped down in a crouch, startling the beast who reeled back in fear, before snarling unintelligibly.

"What's that, ugly? Oh, never mind, let's just cut to the chase." Inuyasha smiled nastily and unsheathed tessaiga, as the demon lunged for his head. The oni was no match for Inuyasha's speed. Inuyasha leapt over its head and cleaved the oni in two, making quick work of the lesser demon.

"Feh. Too easy, what a waste of time." Inuyasha flicked the demons blood from his sword and frowned at the oni guts that splattered his hair, and he grimaced at the putrid smell. There was no way that he was sleeping in oni guts tonight.

He lowered to the balls of his feet and began sniffing at the earth until he picked up the smell of ground water. He came upon an overgrown ledge overlooking a cliff, beyond the mist lingered a vast and unbroken world of shadows.

He inhaled the mist suspiciously, but there was nothing outright that set off his instincts.

Inuyasha smiled in satisfaction when he saw a pool bathed in moonlight, and he begin disrobing until he heard a tiny splash that caused him to still and duck behind a moss-covered boulder. As the mist parted his heart started in his chest as his eyes lingered on a familiar face. He lowered his gaze of appraisal and warmed at the sight before him. _Kagome? What the hell does she think she's doing out here alone?_

He prepared to give her a stern tongue lashing, but he could not take his eyes off her lovely body.

She stood before him in water up to her calves. She faced the bank of the pool bending to cup water to her shoulders. She seemed like a nymph in repose, combing a hand through her silky tresses.

Inuyasha stared for an eternity as she turned her longing eyes to the moon. His jaw slackened, and he knew that he would be haunted forever by that upturned face. Inside of him seemed to be a rippling inferno of desire threatening to undo him, as his eyes helplessly clung to the swelling roundness of her breasts. He got to his feet slowly and stalked into full view of her.

For a moment, she stared at him in frozen surprise. Then in a bold move, she stepped to the bank where her garments lay and did not draw her robes around her right away.

"Good evening, enjoying the view?" He forced his eyes away from her chest, to eye level as she slowly bent to pick up her robe and he watched helplessly as she shouldered into it and tied it loosely at her waist as he felt his anger turn into sludge.

There was an unusual quality in her cool defiance that he had never heard before and he could not hold back any longer. Inuyasha crossed the narrow ditch that wound its way into the lagoon until he was within arm's reach of her.

"Don't you know the trouble you'd be in if I was anyone else?" Inuyasha said quickly. She stared at him for a moment, the moonbeam playing about her lips and bathing her in an evanescent silver glow. For a moment, she didn't look human or like she belonged in this realm at all.

"And what if you were anyone else? I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." She fired back with open defiance.

"Have you finally lost it, woman?" Inuyasha caught her wrist and yanked her to him, "You are never to be out here alone, do you hear me?" His hand tightened around her arm, and she tried to pull away from him.

Her eyes opened wide and then narrowed slightly as an uneasy feeling wound its way inside of his gut. He felt a slight shock where his hand touched her skin, and he lessened his grip as she smiled unkindly. It should've been his first warning that something was terribly amiss.

"I hear you loud and clear, my lord." She drawled out and lowered her lashes and placed her head on his chest. When he impulsively inhaled the scent of her hair, Inuyasha's eyes suddenly widened in fright.

She smelled of the lagoon, something acrid and unfamiliar. A low growl rippled through him, as he grabbed her upper arm and she visibly winced.

"What kind of sick game are you playing at, witch? You're not her." With his haze of lust momentarily forgotten, Inuyasha shoved her away as he realized that the woman before him smelled nothing like Kagome.

"What a shame, I thought we were having fun." The demon said coyly in Kagome's voice, and his face flushed in anger.

"What are you? Why do you have that face?" Inuyasha demanded as he felt a spike of trepidation.

The demon with Kagome's face hissed as the black tendrils of her hair rose from her face like snakes and shot towards him, wounding tightly around his arms as the wiry hairs sliced into his wrist. Her mouth stretched into a sneer as she dragged him into the cocoon of her body.

"I am the mirror of your innermost desire, isn't this what you want Inuyasha?" She cooed as she caressed him, and Inuyasha's back turned rigid in her grasp.

"Yeah right, you expect me to buy that crap?" Inuyasha cursed as he threw a punch and slashed the tendrils of hair that were trying to engulf him. He heard about these demons on his travels. They wore glamour's of young women and posed as lost lovers and close relatives to lure and feed on unsuspecting men who wandered astray.

Inuyasha had the creeping suspicion that this was something else and the unfamiliarity of it all made the hairs on the back of his neck raise, and he didn't like it. _What else could it be?_

"What's the matter Inuyasha dear, am I not woman enough for you?" She staggered and fell into the shallow end of the pool as she rubbed her sore cheek and frowned in disapproval. "Didn't your mother teach you never to put your hands on a lady?" Inuyasha watched in horror as the creatures face contorted and slowly formed a perfect mirror image of his mother's face. His mother stared back at him, her solemn eyes heavy and full of reproach.

"You fucking bitch!" Inuyasha felt a murderous rage bubble inside of him, as he whipped out tessaiga and sprang towards her, slashing a large swathe of her hair and nearly missing her neck.

"Inuyasha, would you raise a sword to your own mother?" The demon who looked like his mother began to cry, and for a moment he froze, as he felt a sense of humiliation. He remembered the nights his mother would weep well into the night, and suddenly he was that helpless boy again.

Sensing an opportunity, the demon smirked before she lunged with outstretched claws. Inuyasha didn't move out of the way as she aimed for his gut. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, and she struggled in vain as her sharp claws ripped into his back.

"What do you think you're doing? Unhand me!" She tried in vain to free herself.

With an internal apology, he raised tessaiga and impaled the demon with his sword. He watched his mother's face contort in pain as she let out an inhuman screech and slumped over his blade. He threw her away from him and for a long time the only thing that could be heard was his labored breathing.

Inuyasha threw tessaiga down on the bank. He faintly realized that he was bleeding and spat at the ground as his fury began to die down. _Weak._ Inuyasha heard his brother's voice sneak into his head and he whirled, gnashing his teeth.

"Damn it all." He whispered as a wave of shame and revulsion washed over him. He gingerly kneeled at the edge of the lagoon and begin washing the blood from his hands and he dunked his head into the water, mechanically scrubbing the guts from his hair to the best of his ability.

* * *

Kagome methodically began combing out the knots in her hair, wincing at the frequent snags. When her hand began to hurt, she stilled her ministrations and looked at the front entrance.

Inuyasha still did not come back, and she was beginning to worry.

Totosai had brought a pot of rabbit stew from the kitchens and she had kept the fire going, hoping that he would return to enjoy their last meal together. She sighed deeply, and quickly changed into her sleeping robes as she tried to quell her disappointment.

It had been an emotionally exhausting day. The stars had already emerged and she was going to need all the rest that she could get.

She had so many questions about this mysterious village, and Inuyasha's relationship to this place.

As if pulled by her ruminations, Inuyasha sauntered into the hut stone faced, looking worse for wear and her eyes lit up, as she tried to disguise her pleasure.

"Inuyasha, you're back." She began, but he leveled her with a frosty stare that stopped her in her tracks, and she recoiled. He inhaled the air and sighed in relief when her familiar and comforting scent washed over him.

"I'm sorry, I had a rough patrol." He scrubbed his face with his hand and rolled some of the tension from his shoulders. "Got anything to eat?"

"Yes, Totosai brought us some food a while ago." She got up to tend to the fire and added a log to the dying flame. "I was getting worried and I was just about to go out there myself." She half joked, as she brought him the extra sized portion that she had been saving for him. He grunted and chose not to comment.

Kagome fiddled with the sleeve of her robe and watched him from beneath her lashes. She tried her best to decipher his mood as the flickering flames and crackling wood hummed between them. She thought she might ask him about the orphanage or bring up Totosai's strange request.

Instead Kagome bit her lip and wondered what had gotten into him. She was not used to seeing him sullen and withdrawn and it made her nervous.

"Everything okay?" She tried to fish for information and when he didn't respond, Kagome ended up babbling about her evening. She told him about the half demon girl, and her sick mother, but she was careful to leave out the vital bits that complicated the story.

"I don't think she'll survive the harvest if you ask me. It's been such a long time since I treated anyone, and I really did the best that I could." Kagome prattled on, and watched as Inuyasha took small, measured bites, not even inhaling his food like it was his last meal in his usual bad habit. He set the bowl aside and suddenly stood up, cutting her off in the middle of her story.

"I'm sorry Kagome, but if you don't mind, I'd like to get some rest. You can have the cot, I'll be out here if you need anything." He averted his gaze as he moved to the far corner of the room. She nodded dumbly, and hovered for several moments, searching for the words that she wanted to say but finding none she turned her back and prepared to go to bed.

 _Did I do something wrong?_ She drew the partition screen to preserve some shred of modesty, and turned to face him, so that she could study his silhouette.

Her mind wandered to the day's events. She shifted on her side, trying to find a comfortable position. _Maybe he's feeling melancholy too? I mean, I never stopped to ever ask him how he was feeling. And this is his childhood home._ She felt a stab of guilt as she realized that she was so engulfed in her own pain that she took Inuyasha for granted _. I'm sorry Inuyasha, it must be rough for you too._ Kagome shifted again and settled on sleeping on her back as she tried to curb her longing.

Her mind wandered back to the strange monk from before. She was unused to male flattery, yet she wondered if Inuyasha would ever look at her that way or say such brazen things.

As soon as the thought entered her mind, a rush of heat caused her to tingle all over, as she chastised herself. _Idiot, there you go making things more complicated_. Kagome shifted her attention to something safer. She wondered about the children from earlier and how they came to this orphanage. She turned her speculations over and over in her head until she got fed up and left it alone.

At last, sleep granted her reprieve from her capricious mind.

That night she dreamed that she was standing outside of a door.

She kept knocking feeling foolish and peeved until a man with a face full of shadows opened the door and stood over her. His gaze held her imprisoned, and he seized her upper arm dragging her forward as she felt a burning sensation in her left arm.

He was shouting at her in a foreign language, demanding something from her and she shook her head frantically as the floor began to melt beneath them into quicksand and she tried to get away from him before she was swallowed whole.

Kagome began pounding her fist on his shoulders as they began to sink deeper and he refused to let her go. When she tried to speak, a swarm of bees buzzed around her head as she tried to tell him that she did not have it, she did not have what he was looking for.

Something burned in the pit of her stomach, weighing so heavily, that she wanted to rip it out and fling it into the darkness. Above the man, a spider's head flashed ghastly red eyes and she felt as if a piece of burning ash had been thrown down her back.

Kagome shot awake, her eyes feeling grimy and strange.

She was still in the hut with Inuyasha, she felt her heart thudding in her chest. She got up from the sweat drenched cot and pushed the screen aside. To her amazement, Kagome felt lighter and she did not even feel fatigued.

The world was still plunged in blackness, and she guessed that it was a couple hours past midnight. She remembered her secret vow. Kagome felt the beginning of grief stir as her eyes begin to mist over before she pinched herself. _it's now or never._

A light from the floor lamp was softly shining on Inuyasha. He slept with his back towards the wall with his sword propped on his shoulder, like her own personal knight.

His tight expression made her think of his strong, cold will, but when he was sleeping his mouth relaxed, and a soft warmth appeared on his long-lashed eyes and on his cheeks. A warmth which tempted her to go close to him and she felt a burning feeling in her throat.

Her hand hovered, before she lightly placed a hand on his cheek. Her mind was made up. Tears brimmed in her eyes, and she strengthened her resolve. She was eternally grateful that they found each other and for a fleeting moment, that she could know the happiness of an ordinary woman.

 _Goodbye Inuyasha, I'm glad that we met_. _Please take care of yourself._ She bit her lower lip and moved away but at the last moment he surprised her and caught her around the waist and held her retreating arm with his free hand. She flushed in embarrassment when he stared at her with his unwavering golden eyes. Kagome was at lost for words, as she tried and failed to come up with an explanation for her proximity. She had hoped to make a hasty exit.

"I- "was all she managed before he placed a gentle finger on her lips to shush her.

"You were planning on leaving on your own, weren't you?" He drawled out, his voice still heavy with sleep, yet free of accusation. Inuyasha relaxed his grip so that she could pull away on her own accord, but the intensity of his gaze held her to the spot. She had done her best to make this easy for him, she had planned to make this as painless as possible.

"Am I really that obvious?" She heard the hesitant note in her voice, and looked away, but he placed two fingers underneath her chin and firmly guided her head back so that he could read the expression on her face.

"You reek of nervousness. I couldn't sleep much anyway, and you talk in your sleep." He quietly admitted.

"I thought it would be easier for both of us this way." She continued in a hushed tone, as she squirmed.

"I know." He whispered back simply.

Kagome couldn't look away. His eyes were like two dark magnets and butterflies exploded in her stomach all over again as she saw the quiet understanding in his eyes. The soft curve of his mouth tempted her to come closer.

"How?" Kagome did not quite trust her own voice, and she unconsciously tilted her face upward.

"Intuition, I guess. One moment, I think that I know what's going on in that crazy head of yours, then you do something like this." He laughed and shook his head.

"I guess you have me figured out." Kagome lowered her lashes and stared into her lap. _What are we even doing?_ She idly wondered, and when their eyes met, the intensity of his gaze caused a small tremor to shoot through her.

"Don't leave." Inuyasha leaned in closer, breathing her air and causing her heart to pound wildly in her ears as something in his voice pulled something from inside of her. He was pleading with her.

She shifted again and recognized the longing and unmasked need in his voice. The larger part of her that wanted to protect him, even at the cost of pain wavered, as she unconsciously darted her tongue over her lips, shivering. In the darkness just before dawn, they both became hyper aware of those slumbering forces stirring outside, eager to become dawn again.

"Do you even know what you are saying?" She whispered back, feeling heat rise to her cheeks as she held her breath.

"Yes, but you haven't been listening. I know this might sound crazy right now but think about it, you can stay here; no harm will come to you and you can start over." Inuyasha said in a hushed voice and the spell was broken, as she finally pulled away and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You're wrong. You bought me this far, and I need to go back on my own. You're free Inuyasha, don't let me stop you from your duty." She closed her eyes so that she could focus on the future.

It was the only road that she could take, and she had to go down it alone. She tried to move away from him and she knew that if he didn't touch her, if he didn't look at her and fill her with false hope that she could do this.

"Is that what this is about? My duty?" He scoffed, and she finally snapped.

"Yes." Kagome said through clenched teeth. "You don't even know who I am or what I'm capable of. I know you've been wondering all this time, so maybe I should enlighten you." Kagome felt the blood rush to her head as she began to feel possessed by the compulsion to let him have it.

"I'm not who you think I am, Inuyasha. Bad things have happened since the day that I met you, and that's not a coincidence. If I stay here, who knows what nasty thing will show its ugly head? I was deserted by my own clan because they know what I am. Don't you get it? I'm cursed." She finished feverishly, as she desperately edged closer to the truth.

"Is that supposed to be a joke? Because it's not very funny." Inuyasha frowned and for a moment, he felt a shred of his reason warn him that she might be right. He could feel a prickly feeling at the back of his neck, as a seed of doubt was planted in his heart.

"Why won't you believe me?" Kagome sighed miserably as she felt the first frustrated tear trail down her cheek.

"Even if what you say is true, something doesn't add up. I've seen you risk your hide time and time again for the people around you because you have a god damned savior complex, and not to mention a chip on your shoulder. You're the most hard-headed woman that I have ever met, and if you think I'm supposed to run away with my tail tucked between my legs, then you haven't been paying attention."

"You must." She whispered urgently, grasping the front of his robes and searching his eyes pleadingly.

"I can't." And it was the startling truth. Something wouldn't let him even if there was a shred of truth in what she was telling him. He felt it even now. Inuyasha couldn't explain with logic, but Kagome set something off deep down inside of him. His instincts overpowered his reasoning mind and suddenly he needed to touch her.

Before she could get another word out, he pulled her impossibly close, and kissed her so thoroughly that her anger sparked, then receded quickly with the promise of more of his salty kisses. Repressed desire coursed through her, and as she became hyper aware of his body heat, goosebumps rose on her forearms.

"We shouldn't do this." Kagome tried to warn him, tried to let her dread dampen those places where he lit her on fire and made her not want to let go.

"Tell me to stop, and I swear I'll never try to kiss you again. But look me in the eye and tell me." He whispered fiercely, and her breath hitched in her throat at the passion in his voice and the earnestness that shone in his eyes. Her heart began to thunder in its cage as her eyes trailed to his burning mouth.

She wondered dimly if he was aware of what exactly he was saying. Caught by the lamplight, Inuyasha seemed to be under a spell.

The smaller part of her knew that she was selfish. Kagome would be fooling herself if she sent him away, she was dizzy from his nearness and she pressed her face into his chest.

"That's not fair." Kagome sighed into the crook of his neck, as his arms tightened across her waist. He lifted her chin so that she was held captive by his molten gaze, threatening to burn her with his silent conviction.

"When I first met you," Inuyasha began, "for the life of me, I couldn't figure you out and I thought I was crazy. I hardly knew you, but I wanted you before my brain could even catch up with me. Now I know, I want you Kagome and I don't care about anything else." His mouth grazed the shell of her ear as he hugged her to his chest and breathed in her scent.

He had worn down her defenses, and she felt the bittersweet tears streaming down her cheeks as he continued.

"I want you by my side, Kagome. I mean it." His voice dropped as he lowered his head to claim her mouth in a slow kiss. Her mouth tasted of tears and she whimpered into his mouth. Kagome clutched the front of his robes and something primal inside of him shuddered awake.

When she murmured and gripped his shoulders, he tilted her head back and grazed her lower lip before he slipped his tongue into her mouth. His slick tongue began massaging her own and her heart began beating rapidly, as her imagination raced ahead of her. _I don't care anymore. Please God, let me not care._

When they broke apart for air, Inuyasha nibbled his way to her collarbone causing her to bare her neck and he rumbled in approval. Inuyasha's lips began working magic up and down the column of her throat, her soft sighs deepened into moans and she rocked her hips into his thigh, brushing the rock-hard length of his manhood. Inuyasha groaned softly, he gathered his control and swept her in his arms and carried her back to the old cot.

Her knees felt weak. Heat pooled in her belly, chasing away all her warring emotions as pleasure replaced her sadness. All she could think about was the way he made her feel as his thick, silver curtain of hair covered her and shielded her from the world.

Inuyasha sharply inhaled the scent of her growing arousal and softly cursed under his breath, as he became hyper aware of her and his blood sang in his ears. He pressed his face into her hair, before quickly kissing her eyelids, her chin, and the bridge of her nose as she ran her hands up and down his back.

He easily reached between them and pulled her flimsy sleeping robe from her body. Inuyasha sucked in a sharp breath as he took in her beautiful body and knew that this time that he was experiencing the real thing as her hands automatically moved to cover herself. Inuyasha licked his lips as her nipples hardened under his gaze.

Kagome felt completely exposed as she began to lose her nerve. For a moment, she remembered a pair of cobalt blue eyes and the wolfish grin flashed into her mind and she shuddered in self-disgust.

"Is this okay?" Inuyasha asked in a ragged whisper, sensing her hesitation. He drew away from her and brushed the hair from her eyes as his soothing purr thrummed through her. His voice pulled her back to the present and she smiled shyly up at him. The warmth of his body penetrated her, swirling inside of her and she needed to be closer to him.

"Yes, more than okay." She murmured, pulling him back down to initiate a shy, gentle kiss, and she suddenly grew bold as she grazed his bottom lip. Inuyasha smiled as he grabbed her hips and pulled her against him and took control of the kiss. He greedily consumed her, claiming her mouth in a bruising kiss that made her toes curl and her breath thicken.

He felt her delicate hands reaching into the front of his robes, restlessly exploring the hard panels of his chest and he grunted as he wanted to guide her hands to where he needed her the most.

The rough material brushed against her cheek, and Kagome plucked at the offending robe, and his pulsed slammed like crazy as he pulled away to shuck off his clothes before moving over her. Kagome blinked dumbly at the brief loss of body heat and in a bold moment her eyes trailed over him, until maidenly panic swept over her and she forced herself to stop at the tightly clenched muscles of his belly.

His mouth ghosted over hers, sending a jolt of electricity through her as desire coiled tight in her belly, and he pulled her tightly against him, his hands sliding down her curves as he claimed her mouth hungrily. The feel of her naked skin was almost too much for him, and he promised that he would savor her.

"Stay with me, Kagome." Inuyasha whispered into her ear, as his arms wrapped more securely around her waist, he mouthed the nape of her neck, trailing burning kisses down the column of her throat, grazing the juncture between her neck and her shoulder.

Kagome made a strangled sound at the back of her throat as liquid fire filled her belly. A long, shuddering tenderness rose, welling up from the deepest part of her being, spreading throughout her body. Kagome was afraid to speak, instead she arched closer to his devilish mouth and ran her hands down the rippling muscles of his back and up over his shoulders in ardent approval.

His fangs lightly nipped the outside of her breast, before he captured one of the hardened peaks in his mouth, and flicked the sensitive bud with his tongue, relishing the taste and feel of her. She made the most delicious noises, as she pressed a hand to his head and rubbed his ears. Her sweet moans elicited a deep, feral groan from him as he throbbed against her.

Kagome clamped her legs shut from the heightened sensations that sent a rush of liquid heat to her nether regions where she wanted him the most. It was almost too much for her. She could hear her own labored breathing, as she opened her eyes a fraction and watched as he rolled her nipples between his teeth, before he pressed her breast together, taking the hardened nubs in his mouth, sucking and teasing her, and she clawed at his head as she bucked her hips and grinded against him, as his desire mounted.

Kagome made a noise in her throat, that caused him to groan as he breathed out her name. She parted her legs welcoming him into the cradle of her body, and he lifted his head from her chest, capturing her gaze with heavily lidded eyes.

"Are you sure that this is what you want?" He looked down at her flushed face, as he strained towards her.

"I need you." Kagome frightened herself by the roughness of her voice, he kneeled between the warm cradle of her body and brushed her lower lip with the pad of his thumb.

"I want to hear you say that again."

"I need you," Kagome whispered, in the same rough voice and he smiled and reached for her and pinned her hands above her head.

"Good, that's what I like to hear." He growled in approval, and claimed her mouth in a hot, desperate kiss, as he sank slowly into her heat. Inuyasha cursed as she tensed around him, and he kissed the side of her neck to distract her from his erotic invasion.

"Look at me, Kagome." He ordered softly, and she opened her clenched eyes as he kissed her forehead and her eye lids, as he bit his lip to restrain himself. When she began to relax and breathe regularly, she enjoyed the way his body felt pressed against hers and moaned softly to encourage him. Inuyasha slowly began to rock into the cradle of her hips, and her soft moans made his loins tighten.

"Fuck, you feel so good." Inuyasha hissed through clenched teeth as her slick heat swirled around him, and he throbbed inside of her as he began to see red. At the back of his mind, he wondered if he was going to last. He seized her mouth in a savage kiss, as he quickened his pace and he swallowed her moans.

Kagome surprised him when she wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her fingers into the small of his back, encouraging him as heat pooled into the base of his spine as his hips snapped forward and he settled on a slow, hard, rhythm.

She moaned and gasped his name as her toes curled and tiny lights sparked behind her eyes, and for a moment she began to shine white hot as their bodies moved in perfect unison.

Kagome had the brief sensation that she was flying as her back arched, her hips bucked, pulsing around him as she cried in ecstasy and she came with a strangled cry.

Inuyasha panted heavily as his control slipped and he grabbed her hips and pounded wildly as he rode the waves of her climax and followed her with a shout as she clenched around him.

Kagome was cradled in the slow, tender rocking of his body, all the wounds of the past faded away into the startling happiness of this moment. She gave him a tired smile, as he kissed her forehead and made a secret vow that no other man would ever know her like this.

"Will you just hold me for a while?" Kagome asked, and she sighed as he pulled out from her dampness, and shifted so that he spooned against her back, wrapping his arms securely around her.


	13. Chapter 13

Kagome rushed to the edge of the field and vomited up the contents of her last meal, as she groaned miserably. Nostalgia warred with her growing melancholy as her stomach churned, and a violent spasm sent her reeling again on her hands and knees.

Her feet ached from the pebbles and rocks that had gotten into her worn sandals, and she felt sore in unmentionable places. Kagome kept her eyes straight as she regained her balance, her mind began to race ahead of her without her permission and she felt her insides squeeze. _Don't think. Don't think. Don't think._

It was her silent mantra ever since she snuck out of the warm hut and felt her way through the darkness. She had washed up the best she could in the predawn light, and headed south, praying to whatever gods that was listening that she would be able to maneuver through the dense redwoods and across the river without having to face any foes.

Memory seeped like a dense fog through the trees. The silver mist took root in the earth, shrouding the overgrown fields as it rolled out to meet the sky

It was short of a miracle when she pushed herself through the narrow gate, that wound into a manmade tunnel leading to the village stronghold. She moved through the debris of scattered arrows, forgotten rations, and she paused to bend down to pick up a broken bow. She ran her fingers across the crudely made weapon, frowning to herself as she closed her eyes.

She imagined the warning bells going off into the night, as men and women shot out of their beds and a swarm of yokai surrounded the stronghold. She could still feel their fear, lingering in the tunnels, as shadows of men leapt up from the debris and rushed past her, and up the wooden ladders to their battle stations.

This time, she was sure that the war had been brought home. There was nowhere to run and the only thing that was left was the stronghold walls. Kagome slowly opened her eyes, as she suddenly felt burdened down by the flood of memories.

Nostalgia won in the end. She had the strangest feeling that she had been left behind as she stumbled into a golden wheat field, drooping from the weight of unharvested grain. There was nothing here but remnants, and relics from the past.

This was home. Yet the last thing that she remembered was the dread, dredged up by the fear of dying at the stake. She remembered the fresh taste of betrayal, as the memory coiled in her gut, and sprang like a snake.

 _Home_. Kagome let the word rattle around inside of her, as she breathed in the scent of pine and earth around her. She brushed against a forgotten plow, abandoned in the fields. Up ahead, something glinted in the sunlight, and her insides squeezed as she bent to pick up a faded rosary bead.

It looked like a beautiful jewel. She rolled the ruby bead between her fingers, reveling in the feel of something solid and familiar. It reminded her of the rosary beads that the old widows would carry into the temple, as they knelt and prayed in front of stiff statues that never talked back. Without thinking, she stuck the bead in the front of her robes as she went about retrieving the things she thought she no longer needed.

Kagome drifted through the few huts that were still standing, until she had collected a handful of mementos; children's laundered clothes, gone stiff from too much starch, farmers scythes, and broken weapons. She dimly wondered where the bodies lay, and she imagined that someone had gotten here before her and took it upon themselves to clear away the carnage. She found a stray shovel and began to dig a single grave until her fingers ached and her back groaned in protest.

Methodically, she placed each item in the waiting earth, and when the last of the items thudded in the silent grave, she conjured their faces in her mind's eye. She remembered the young boys that used to chase her with lizard skins, until they eventually caught up with her, and the farmers and widows who looked down at her with pity after her grandfather's passing.

Kagome swallowed her prayers thickly around a lump in her throat. She was truly alone, and no one would be coming. She waded through the emptiness she kept waiting, in hopes that she would return to some sense of normalcy. There were no beloved ghosts, no homecoming.

"What am I supposed to do now? Where am I supposed to go?" She asked the mound of dirt, as she wiped away the stray tears with the back of her hand.

She heard a flurry of whispers slice tersely into her consciousness, and she whirled until she was facing the shore. Kagome threw the shovel down and grabbed a sturdy looking bow and a quiver of arrows, as she followed the rustling until she was back to where it all began.

Kagome stood in a grave littered with bones, carcasses, and skulls still tufted with hair. She had to cover her mouth with her sleeve, as the smell of decay wafted up her nose, causing her to gag. The surf crashed against the rocky cliffs, drenching her in a salty spray as she peered over the edge and into the watery depths.

She wondered lightly what would happen if she slipped beneath the torrents. She thought she heard the ocean whisper back, urging her in a devilish whisper.

" _You wish for freedom? Do you not? Join with me, and everything that you wish for will be yours."_

Kagome gasped, and gaped down at the watery depths, but something alien brushed her awareness as she turned to the graveyard of bones. A severed ogre-like skeletal head rattled on the ground, and while its maw did not move, she felt its malicious desire, as an ominous aura made her feel sick.

" _Join with me priestess, and leave your weak, mortal body. Or do you wish to continue to suffer?"_

The remnants of yokai, withered as they joined the skeletal head, until they formed a chorus of promises, a litany of grand wishes, and Kagome balked as she slowly backed away.

"No way, I'd rather eat graveyard dirt!" Kagome tried to call up her power, but instead of purifying the demons, she felt pain spiral up into her lungs, and a gripping spasm rippled through her.

Kagome gritted her teeth and pulled an arrow from her quiver. With shaky hands she fired in neat succession at the ghastly skulls, until bones shattered, and the madness goading her on died down

She stood still, as the coldness seeped into her skin, and the weariness settled in her bones and she looked down at her hands in fright.

* * *

Kagome circled around her old hut, it was just as she remembered. There was a small table with a basin, a chest for her clothes, and a rolled up sleeping cot. A large iron pot was suspended over a small hearth that had kept her through many winters.

Her mind went on auto pilot, as she searched for wood to keep the fire going, and she grunted as she dragged the sleeping mat outside so that it could be properly dusted. Kagome did not allow herself to get too comfortable, now that she could not call upon her powers of purification, she would have to get back to the basics.

She was lucky to find a few tins of salted meat, and preserved vegetables, and she rummaged in her tiny storage cabinet for some herbs for seasoning. In no time, the hearth blazed, filling her small hut with warmth. Kagome smiled faintly to herself as she felt some semblance of control return to her. It almost felt like her wilderness training all over again, when she was left to fend for herself to prove to the elders that she was competent and capable.

Kagome imagined that she could stay in this place. She could resurrect her grandfather's dream and create a haven from the war. She would heal the sick and do what naturally came to her. Her tiny smile blossomed into a whimsical grin, before reality sunk its teeth into her pipe dream.

"Don't be so stupid." She softly reprimanded herself, and she froze, grimacing when the admonition reminded her of the half demon lord. She felt the weight of not knowing settle on her shoulders, as she rubbed her arms to combat the chill of her loneliness, and a faraway expression settled on her countenance. She had resolved to harden her heart. _Don't think. Don't think. Don't think._ She begun her silent mantra, and after several seconds, it did the trick.

Kagome stretched, and got up to retrieve some water for the cooking pit before it got too dark outside, when something caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She frowned when she saw something half sticking out of her medicine cabinet. She snatched up a scroll that was sticking out from the corner. Kagome didn't recognize the seal, but it had been broken, and she squinted at the slanted characters, as she gasped softly, recognizing her grandfathers handwriting.

 _Dearest Granddaughter, if you're reading this I fear it already may be too late. I was a fool to keep you in the dark for so long, and my wish has always been to protect you. But I fear that this old fool has done more harm than good, and you are in grave danger. There isn't much time, and I won't be long for this world, but strange men have been seen on the edge of the border. I suspect there might be a spy amongst the council of elders and I'm afraid that you can't trust the villagers. I have sent word to some of our cousins in Shikoku to come and help protect you, and in due time I will explain everything. But you must leave this place at once._

Kagome read the letter twice and she flipped the page over, but someone had spilled ink over the second page distorting the message. Her heart congealed in its cage and she rushed to the cabinet, pulling out jar after jar of medicine until her cabinet was cleared. But there were no more scrolls.

"What am I supposed to do with this?" Kagome asked the ghost of her grandfather, "It's already too late." She sunk to her knees as she felt the first wave of trepidation.

"What am I not getting?" She massaged her head and tried to talk herself out of an oncoming panic attack.

Kagome was no longer exhausted, instead she allowed the restless energy to goad her, as she felt a renewed rage settle at the pit of her stomach. The only thing that she was sure of was the strange changes that had been happening inside of her.

She tried to call up on her powers again, and there was a flicker, then nothing.

"Please, just let me have one reliable thing." Kagome begged, feeling ridiculous as her power deserted her. It was the last straw that broke the dam as her shoulders began shaking and tiny sobs racked her body. Kagome could no longer pretend that she was fine, or that she could brave this storm with gusto. She could never go back to the way things were before. There would be no going back. She wanted to tell her grandfather that he could keep all his secrets, and now all she wanted was to be left the hell alone.

At that moment, a flurry of whispers sprung up from the flames, the voices all speaking at once. She recognized the dead voices of the villagers, their voices equally full of accusation, and remorse. In that moment, Kagome knew now that she was finally losing it. She couldn't blame fatigue, or her pain, or her power. The past rose from the firepit, bathing the tiny hut in equal parts shadow and light and she shuddered in revulsion.

The whispers swirled around her, as Kagome squeezed her eyes shut.

"Stop it! I can't help any of you. So just leave me alone and shut up!" She ordered, and on her command the voices died down to a flicker and crackle. She felt the first signs of a headache, and she wondered if she would get any sleep.

That night, Kagome feared that the dead would return to haunt her in her dreams.

* * *

Inuyasha had the most blissful dream.

He folded his arms under his head and stared up at the ceiling and smiled to himself as he recalled a familiar pair of brown eyes and the curve of a dainty mouth. Inuyasha unconsciously lipped his lips as he became uncomfortably aware of the last time he'd been with a woman. He could still almost smell her heady scent surrounding him, and he closed his eyes to a slit as he savored this moment.

His muscles ached in protest as he was so unaccustomed to sleeping on the floor, and it was much more comfortable standing watch or resting in the tree tops. He dimly wondered how he ended up on the sleeping cot, when he had adamantly insisted that he would stand watch while letting Kagome catch up on sleep.

Inuyasha allowed his eyes to drift shut again as the first morning rays warmed him, and the smell of Kagome's blood slowly drifted into his nose and it had the effect of dousing a cold bucket of water over his head. _What in the entire fuck?_

Inuyasha shot awake, as his pulse hammered in his chest. He remembered the touch of her skin and the weight of her body in his arms, when he licked his lips, he swore that he could even taste the salt of her tears. The line between what was real and what was unreal was dangerously blurred in his mind, and he was beginning to panic that he did something incredibly stupid.

Inuyasha tried in vain to think back to the last thing that he remembered. He had come back from his perimeter check, and he had been angry at being deceived by a damn yokai. He was disturbed by his ghoulish encounter with his mother and was dead set on standing watch the whole night to burn off some of his anger.

When he tried to recall past that point, shadows flickered in and out of focus as he remembered the curve of her back, the silk of her hair, and the saltiness of her mouth. _Fuck! Don't tell me that wasn't a dream, you've got to be shitting me._

Inuyasha cursed himself internally as the evidence lay scattered around him. Kagome's blood stained the sheets and seeped into the cot and she was nowhere to be found. Inuyasha gingerly tugged on his clothes, feeling disgusted and repulsed with himself all at once as he tried in vain to penetrate the fog of confusion and lust clouding his mind. He scrubbed his face with a rough hand and tried to quell his panic.

Inuyasha rationalized that she probably went out to relieve herself or to get breakfast from the kitchens and he mentally sought out different ways to apologize to her without completely making a total jackass of himself. _I think you've already accomplished that, pal. But what if I scared her off_? Inuyasha felt a wave of fear surge above him, threatening to sweep him off his feet.

A sudden desperation seized him, as he strained all his senses outside the confines of the hut. He could hear the birds clearly, but something felt terribly wrong. He shook the thought from his head, but a niggling feeling wouldn't let him alone.

Inuyasha weighed the possibility in his heart and mind that she didn't want to see him, but when several moments passed by, he threw all caution to the wind and nearly ripped the screen doors off its hinges as his heart pounded in his chest.

There were a few villagers milling about, and he hounded them down, but they stared up at him quizzically. No one had caught sight of her. Inuyasha felt his gut clench as his nose told him what his heart could not possibly bear. He raced through the red woods and followed her trail to the edge of the river. In the water he found a strip of her robe where it must've torn on the tree branches. Kagome's scent was stale, and it told him that she had left hours ago.

"Idiot girl." Inuyasha balled his fist as he glowered at the depths of the river. He had secretly hoped that after everything that they had gone through, that she would come to trust him.

"Just when I think I've figured you out, you go and pull something like this." He tucked away the strip of clothing and swiveled back towards the hut. He would have to tell the old man to cancel breakfast.

When he returned to his quarters, the scent of their lovemaking nearly overpowered him, and the lingering scent of her arousal made his lions stir. Inuyasha hissed underneath his breath as he dug his claws into the fleshy part of his palm, drawing blood. _Now is not the time, asshole_. He allowed the scent of his blood and the dull ache of pain to distract him, while he dimly wondered if he accidently hurt without knowing and she rightly fled.

He grabbed his sword where it was propped up on the wall and jammed it in his belt.

He wouldn't torture himself with the details, all he knew was that Kagome was out there alone and he couldn't allow himself to leave her astray. _Stupid girl, what's the use in making things more difficult than they must be?_ Inuyasha was just about to take off after her when someone lightly rapped at the screen door.

"Damnit, now what?" He sighed, and barked for his unwelcomed guest to come in.

Inuyasha glowered at Totosai, as the old man greeted the young lord cheerfully as he sauntered inside the hut casually carrying a warm pot of food. Totosai set the clay pot down by the hearth, before eyeing Inuyasha and wondered what crawled up the young lords butt so early in the morning.

The old man wrinkled his nose, and cast a bulbous eye at the soiled bed sheets, and finally got the message as he flashed he four brown teeth.

"Well, well, young master. I didn't know you had it in you. All the servant girls were hoping that you and the young lady were less than amicable, but it looks like they were wrong. I was right placing my bet on you after all." Totosai began to chortle. He internally counted all the bets that he would have to collect before the day was over, but Inuyasha's deathly growl caused him to stop dead in his tracks.

"Err…where has the young lady run off to? I asked one of the girls to show her to the baths, figured she might want one before you both hit the road." Totosai scratched the back of his head and averted his gaze as he tried to change the subject. The old man idly wondered if the new lovers had a spat already, which accounted for the young master's bad mood. _Kids_ , Totosai thought sourly, _they don't know much about anything._

"You have eyes, don't you? She ain't here." Inuyasha crossed his arms over his chest, hoping that the old git would get the message, so that he could go on about his business. Just then, someone began to frantically knock at the door and before he could answer, a young servant girl came tumbling in, out of breath.

"I'm sorry to interrupt lord Inuyasha, but I just got message from your Lord brother. He wants you back at the castle. There's some trouble."

"What did you say?" The servant girl lowered her eyes while clutching a scroll to her chest. She shakily handed him the message and he snatched it from her hands.

It was Sesshomaru's writing all right, detached and to the point. Inuyasha inhaled sharply as he reread the last sentence. There was an attack at the castle and his brother had been injured. _And the asshole suspects the work of a spy_? His brows furrowed in concentration as he crumbled up the piece of paper into a ball and tossed it over his shoulder.

"You've got to be joking, He wants me back now, of all times? The timing couldn't have been worse." Inuyasha said in a deathly quiet tone, as he began pacing in agitation. He couldn't possibly imagine his brother injured, and Inuyasha knew that this was serious.

"Well master," Totosai began as he helped himself to a portion of rice porridge, "There has been rumor of a coup d'état while you were away, and since the passing of your sovereign father, your brother has come to rely on you as his steady beta." The old man stroked his beard as he offered his own wisdom, while the servant girl quickly bowed her head and slunk out of the hut.

"I know all of that, you don't have to give me a lecture." Inuyasha sighed and wondered what the hell he was doing. He debated disobeying his brothers' orders, but his ears drooped slightly as he warmed at the memory of his actions. In the spaces where the line blurred between what was real and what was not, Inuyasha imagined her fear, disgust and loathing which made him falter in his rebellion. _Shit, the old man is more than right. What the hell do I think I'm doing, chasing after woman who has every right to be afraid of me?_

Shame humbled him, as he felt the first wave of rejection and doubt. Kagome's face flashed through his head, and he tried to dismiss all those things that he was too afraid to name. _If this is what she wants, who the hell am I to impose on her wishes? Maybe it's better this way._ He solemnly declared to harden his heart, and he hoped that in time that he could forgive himself.

Inuyasha slowly, but surely detached himself from his feelings, and slipped into a familiar role that he had learned to master.

"Send word to the asshole that I'm a couple days away." He ordered, before taking a deep breath and prepared himself mentally to traverse back to his father's lands.

"Will the young lady be joining you?" Totosai asked innocently.

"No, not this time." Inuyasha replied lightly as his expression closed.

* * *

Kagome rolled up her sleeves and plunged her spear in the shallow end of the ocean, as she grunted in satisfaction when she managed to catch several fish. She had often watched the men from the village, perfect their technique from days till end, and she smiled faintly at the pile of fish as her stomach rumbled.

She wiped the sweat from her brow. It had been two days since she returned home, and she had fallen into a quiet routine. For the first time in her life, she was completely alone. Kagome had reacquainted herself with the quiet, rolling hills. Each morning since she returned she would go to the temple and sit in quiet meditation until her knees groaned in protest. She would spend time weeding the garden and clearing the fields for the next harvest.

Kagome felt a certain numbness now as she hefted the spear above her head, studying the erratic movements beneath the water. She could hear echoes of the past, in the seagull's cries and the waves that idly crashed to the shore. She remembered stories of old widows drowning in the waters, and those ghosts waiting for the living to pull down to join them

Kagome stood in front of the ocean ready to turn away, but suddenly she saw a hand shoot out of the water, before it sunk back beneath the surface. _Someone is out there_ _and they're in trouble._ Her mind began to race, as a strange compulsion rose up in her.

She rushed into the water, and she waded deeper until the seaweed caressed her feet. She plunged beneath the water and swam into a silvery school of fish as she hoped that she would make it in time to save the poor soul who was drowning.

But the deeper she swam the stranger she began to feel. Kagome felt like her head was splitting open as she felt her body become so light that she felt wispy. For a moment, she had forgotten her purpose and the dark waters churned and roiled around her.

Kagome felt the promise of peace egging her on, as seaweed gently caressed her feet, and when she glanced down the seaweed briefly morphed into spirits of light, living beneath the waters looking on, and they whispered. _Come with us. Just a little way_

Suddenly, something brushed against her awareness. Kagome was uncomfortably aware that her lungs were burning, and her limbs ached as her fingertips tingled. Kagome kicked her way to the surface, gasping for breath, heart pounding, as she coughed viciously. The sudden shock had worn off, and she was frightened at the distance that she had swam from the shore.

Kagome looked around wildly and wondered if had imagined the whole thing, as a different kind of fear settled in the pit of her stomach.

Spitting out water, she swam back to the shore, but the same niggling feeling caused her to whirl back around where the point of a long boat caught her eye, and she froze.

The boat was approaching swiftly, and she trudged out of the water, yanking her bow as she reprimanded herself for her stupidity. Kagome dimly wondered who she would be facing as scenarios flitted through her imagination. It had been such a long time since she had to put on social airs, she had a brief panic attack as she worried her lower lip between her teeth.

Her stomach tightened as she could see the boat clearly, and its single passenger. Kagome squinted as a scraggly looking man paddled to the shore.

"Land ho! Thank the Gods." The stranger seemed to be in his own world, as he leaned over at the last moment and groaned, before succumbing to sickness. He muttered to himself, oblivious to his surrounding as a small creature scampered from inside his robes and wound itself around his neck. It began to screech, and patted the youth's cheek, before pointing in Kagome's direction.

"Ryo, what is it? I told you we'd make it in one piece." He yawned and stretched his arms, before he craned his neck and finally got the message. He jumped when he caught sight of her, before he tried to look dignified and straightened to his full height.

"Stop right where you are." Kagome drew her bow taut, and aimed right for the stranger's head, as he tried to draw his sword.

She sent a warning shot, that nicked him on the ear as the arrow whistled passed him and plopped into the water.

"I mean it. Leave your weapons in the boat and come out with your hands up." She ordered, and he sighed heavily before he slowly raised one hand while he attempted to make his way out of the boat. Somehow, he managed to trip himself up and he fell out from the side of his boat, landing in a pool of his own vomit

"Oh dear, this isn't my day. This is not my day at all." The young man sighed again, as the small chimp, gingerly bought a sodden handkerchief to his face.

 _What on earth…_ Kagome frowned, but she wasn't about to drop her guard. She watched in a bemused fashion as he dusted himself off, before their eyes met. He took in her threadbare robes, and he paused at her chest as he openly gaped. She had foregone the traditional bandages for more ease and convenience, and now her soaking robes were translucent, leaving nothing to the imagination.

"My eyes are up here." Kagome said dryly, as his ears burned red.

"P-priestess" He stammered out half ashamed, and half hesitant to use the title, "Can you tell me if I reached Kyushu? I think the map tells me I'm in the right place, but that can't be right, can it?" The youth scratched the back of his head, as he pulled out a scroll from the front of his robes and studied it, before craning his head and turning it upside down.

"This is it. Now who are you and what do you want with this place?" Kagome tried to keep her voice as calm as possible, a tremor shot through her arm, but she would not let up just yet. A struggle broke out on his face, as he seemed to be piecing together information, before his chest puffed up with self-importance.

"I am Akitoki Hojo, and I sailed a great distance from Shikoku. I'm here because of the Higurashi clan. Someone has sent an urgent request, and I've come to retrieve and safeguard a highly valuable family heirloom." Akitoki finished, and when the woman looked past him as if she had seen a ghost, he nervously continued.

"Miss would you be so kind as to lead me to the head priest of your village?"

Kagome's heart pulsed, dread shot through her like a fiery arrow. Blood rushed to her ears, as her mind began racing, reaching backward in her memory.

"I'm afraid that you're a little too late. I'm the only survivor, and I won't be of much use to you. Get back on your both and leave this place at once. Nothing good will come of you staying." She managed to say, she planted her bow in the sand, and she felt her knees buckle as she had the sudden compulsion to get away.

"M-Miss, I'm afraid you don't know how grave these matters are. I nearly risked my life crossing through the wilderness, and I'm not allowed to return home unless I completed my mission." Akitoki tried again gently, as he lowered his hands and inched closer. When he got a closer look at her, he inhaled sharply as recognition caused his brows to raise in shock.

"You're a Higurashi. I can't believe this."

"You're wrong, you have me mistaken for someone else." Kagome shook her head, and tried to leave, but he raced in front of her, peering closer into her face, and blocking her path of escape.

"As my grandmother always said, you can't fool a fool." Akitoki chuckled and he was giddy at his discovery, his clan was on the lower echelons and it was always his secret hope that he would someday meet his admired cousins. He heard stories throughout his childhood about the many feats, and prophecies regaled through his boyhood.

Kagome's head was spinning. Secrets, more secrets. Akitoki was still running his mouth but all she could hear was the rise and crash of the wave.

"Seeing that you're the last surviving member," Akitoki continued oblivious to her emotional state, "I'll have to brief you on the new developments in Shikoku. But first, we must secure the shikon jewel and get it to a safe place. Do you know where it is?"

"No." Kagome turned away from him. She was supposed to be safe here, and she felt a sudden fear come to light, as her head began to pound.

"My lady?" He was standing too close to her, and peering down into her face, and she slapped his hand off her shoulder.

"Everyone is dead, everyone! What do I care about a stupid jewel, or politics? Why didn't you come when we were left to fend for ourselves?" Kagome heard her voice crack as she shouted in his face, shoving him hard as a murderous rage twisted in the pit of her belly. She wanted to make someone pay, she narrowed her eyes as Akitoki's Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he tried to move away from her.

"I-I'm only doing what I was told. I had no idea…" He nervously stammered out, and she lunged for the scroll sticking out in the front of his robes and she whirled away from him.

"Ah! Miss, you can't do that!" Akitoki watched in terror as she tore up the piece of paper and threw the remains in the ocean, as he sunk to his knees.

"My map was drawn on the back of those scrolls, how am I going to find my way back?" He pulled at his hair and sagged in defeat.

"Get back on your boat. There are no heirlooms here, and I won't help you. All grandfather left was secrets encoded in scrolls and I don't want any part of it. If you don't believe me, then you can search for yourself."

Kagome bent down in front of him and loaded a pile of cold fish in a wicker basket.

Akitoki scratched his head as he watched her retreating back, at a loss for words for the first time in his life.

* * *

Akitoki, could not stop staring at the silent woman as he nibbled on the skewered fish. She had a change of heart once her shock wore off and she offered him a place to stay the night in the temple.

They sat across from each other, as the flames cast shadows on Kagome's face.

"Would you stop that?" Kagome glared at him from across the fire.

"I'm sorry, it's just that I've heard stories about you growing up. You're a legend where I'm from. I mean, I always wanted to meet your grandfather. What was he like?" Akitoki gushed, and Kagome looked mildly put off as she saw in his open expression a spark of excitement and a piece of joy. She turned away and massaged her temples.

"Is it true that you could shoot an arrow from 60 yards away?" He allowed his boyish enthusiasm to creep into his voice as he leaned towards her.

"Where'd they get that one from?" Kagome lightly mocked. But if she was honest with herself, she was secretly pleased with the praise. Akitoki's presence reminded her of the life she once had, and she smiled ruefully as she remembered her early training in priestesshood.

"I heard that you could purify a demon with a single touch." He sighed, eyes bright with admiration, and something in his expression made her squirm. She studied her hands in her lap, as she remembered that she was no longer able to wield such power.

"Now that just sounds dumb, don't you lot have anything better to do than to gossip about trivial things?" She tried to cover her own vulnerability with dismissiveness.

Akitoki's expression tightened, as he tried to search for the words that he wanted to say.

"Miss Kagome, how much do you know about your family history?" It was not an admonishment, but the more he talked with her, the more he wondered what she knew.

"Not much." She shrugged nonchalantly, hoping that he would get the message. This was the last thing that she wanted to talk about.

"Hmm..." Akitoki stroked his chin thoughtfully and she mentally prayed that he would shut up about whatever he was so gun-ho about, "Back home, the prophecy predicted that the jewel would reappear in your clan. Some of the more powerful families have even begun fighting about who would get to claim such power. It troubles me that the jewel is nowhere to be found, it's as if it disappeared. But how?" Akitoki, pulled a cracker from a tin can, and he reached inside of his robes where his pet companion was hiding. Ryo snatched the cracker from him, before hissing at Kagome in open dislike.

"You have to forgive Ryo, he's a little shy around strangers." Akitoki lied and smiled apologetically.

But Kagome was in her own world. She didn't want anything to do with prophecies, or fables. She would be happy to return to a sedentary lifestyle, where she was safe an where no harm would befall the people around her. She didn't care about the power-hungry lords. She had enough of that in one lifetime.

"It's getting late, I'm going to head to bed." Kagome averted her gaze from his crestfallen expression and excused herself from the conversation.

"Wait, Miss Kagome, can I ask you one more thing?"

She stared at him quizzically, before she nodded.

But before he could verbalize what was on his mind, thundering hooves could be heard in the distance and the bad feeling that persisted all morning, intensified.

"Now what?" Kagome sighed in exasperation.

They both rushed out of the temple, as she slung her bow across her shoulders, and Akitoki followed her to the village proper. Sure enough, a lone stranger rode through the night, and he was approaching the pair fast.

"Who do you think it could be at this time?" Akitoki whispered nervously, as he stuck close to her side.

But it was too late, the traveler was among them, as he yanked the bit of his horse, causing the beast to rear on its hindlegs before coming to a dead stop.

"You!" Kagome shouted in recognition, as the familiar face of the mysterious monk came into focus. They regarded each other, and he frowned as he quickly dismounted from his horse.

Akitoki looked puzzled, and he was secretly relieved that he wouldn't have to fight.

"What a wonderful surprise, I never thought I would gaze upon that lovely face again." Miroku said lightly, as he coolly nodded his head. He had not been expecting to see the woman again, and he was surprised to find that someone had gotten to the village before him. Miroku's frown deepened as the eerie quiet settled around them. Miroku eyed the priestess and glanced around, before his eyes settled on the gangly teen. _Hmm._. _so she replaced her guard dog? pity. He was starting to grow on me._

"I am Akitoki Hojo, pleased to make your acquaintance." The young man bowed stiffly, and Miroku raised an eyebrow first at the household name, and then at the youth's stifling propriety.

"Miroku." He replied breezily, not one for lengthy introductions, especially when they did not involve beautiful women.

"Why are you here, monk. Did Inuyasha send you?" Kagome didn't mean for the tremor to enter her voice, and she was ashamed of the raspy quality of longing that made her voice catch. She had cut herself off from feeling, for necessity and for her own sanity. Kagome was afraid that if she allowed herself to dwell, that her longing would rise like the waves of the ocean, swelling to a crescendo, before threatening to drag her underneath.

Miroku smiled gently and took her by the shoulders. Internally he filed away that piece of information about the young lord, so that he could use it later if the cards played in his favor. He briefly wondered about the nature of their relationship, but he had more pressing matters to attend to than his lively imagination.

"My dear, you have nothing to worry about. Lord Inuyasha is no where in sight, but if you need someone to take your mind off him, I'm always available." He tilted her chin and smirked at her flustered expression. _How cute._ Miroku thought without humor.

"What are you insinuating?" Kagome felt her pulse speed up.

Akitoki felt his ears grow hot at the brusque display, and the forwardness of the monk. He never knew monks to behave in such a way, and he frowned in disapproval.

"Surely the lady is in need of some rest." Akitoki cleared his throat, attempting to lighten the mood.

"I'm also capable of thinking and speaking for myself," Kagome didn't mean to snap, but she wanted to put more distance between herself and Miroku. She didn't want to look weak, so she stood her ground, "Now what business do you have here, monk." She finished, with one hand on her hip.

Miroku would have to give the woman credit, she was wiser than her companion, and if he was honest with himself, he was done playing games. _Oh well,_ _that was fun while it lasted, but back to business._ Miroku thought, and frankly he didn't like this part of his work.

"You wound me priestess, I'm afraid that you're mistaking my intentions." He lightly twirled his staff in his hands, "But I am here on some very important business and I think that you can help me. Would you happen to know where I can find this relic?" Miroku pulled out a scroll from his voluminous robes and showed the pair what he was looking for.

"Miss Kagome, that's it! That's a drawing of the shikon jewel! But how would a stranger know about the family heirloom?" Akitoki murmured a little too enthusiastically, and he looked to her for confirmation, as she felt her hunches raise. _Quiet, you fool._ She reprimanded him silently as Miroku took a keener interest in her, as he turned something around in his head, and suddenly a chilling smile quirked at the corner of his lips.

 _Bingo._ Miroku thought with satisfaction.

"I never caught your name priestess. So, you are the infamous Higurashi? My, my, my, your reputation precedes you." Miroku rolled up his scroll, and gently smacked it in the palm of his hand. "I am honored to formally meet you." He finished cryptically, as he took a step towards her.

"And what if I am? What do you want with such a thing?" She asked in a deathly tone of voice, as she clutched her bow. For an instant his amicable mask faded away, and she saw the cold glint of steel in his eyes, and the imperceptible twitch in his jaw.

He was dangerous.

"It really depends on whose asking, but I think you already know the answer to that question, girl." Miroku levelled her with a penetrating stare, and she felt her heart leap in her throat.

"Good monk," Akitoki interjected, "I'm afraid you're out of luck, there's nothing of that nature here. I looked for it myself, searched the temple low and wide. I even came all the way from the backwoods on a boat." Akitoki began, oversharing information in his happy go lucky manner, while missing out on all the cues that something deeper was going on.

"Oh? Is that so? Are you sure you looked everywhere?" Miroku addressed the fool, but he did not take his eyes off Kagome. "There are legends that have been passed down in my family, some religious scholars say that the jewel is a fable, while others claim that it was predetermined to return to the world of the living. A reincarnation of sorts. There have been some interesting stories in this region and I think I'm ready to test out my theory."

Alarm bells went off in her head, and something inside of her twisted and leapt with fear.

"Akitoki, run." Kagome ordered, but it was too late.

"Forgive me." Miroku whispered, and with lightening reflexes, he used his staff and cracked it over Akitoki's head, and she stumbled backwards. Kagome clumsily grasped her bow, and tried to fire an arrow to stop him, before he turned on her.

She fired, nearly catching him in the shoulder, and he used the delay to charge at her. Adrenaline rushed in her blood, as she lashed out with her bow, and she managed to knock his staff out of his hand.

Miroku cursed, as he produced a silver dagger out of his robes.

"Please, this is madness. I don't have what you want. Are you willing to commit murder over a myth?" She panted heavily, as he circled her, searching for a weak spot.

Kagome knew that he was stronger than her, and that if she didn't put some distance between them that he would easily overpower her.

"I may be many things, but I am no fool. You must forgive me, I don't make a habit of hurting women, but you have something that I desperately need, and the Gods will have to forgive me." Miroku lunged again, this time he was able to get past her defenses, and he swept under her feet and pinned her to the ground.

Before she could flinch back in surprise, he thrust his dagger into her gut, as a pained gasp swelled in her chest. She felt something hard and solid fly out of her body and caught a glimmer of it as her breath whistled in her throat.

Miroku briefly hovered over her, and he pressed something that glittered under her gaze. He began speaking in hushed tones. He was promising her something, but black dots swarmed her vision as his feverish eyes glinted like silver coals in the moonlight.

 _That thing, it was inside of me all along._ In a sudden rush a madness, she wanted to laugh, and laugh, and laugh until she allowed the madness to take her.

Kagome saw herself in the spider's web, this time she was falling, falling, into the darkness below where the snakes lay, and she was free of fear. In the wind tumbled the crashing waves of abandoned dreams and thwarted melodies, chilling her to the bone.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: Thank you for all the reviewers who have stuck with this story thus far despite the fast pacing. This was originally supposed to be a one-shot, but my imagination got the best of me. Things should simmer to a steady boil from this point on, so I hope that makes up for something. Please keep your reviews, questions, and concerns coming. Cheers! :)

* * *

Kaede staggered out of her hut after a disturbing dream caused her to startle and a deep uneasiness manifested as an ache in her bones. Her brows knitted together as she pulled on her cloak, and wound her way out of her hut with only a paper lantern to guide her in the darkness.

Ever since she was a girl, the old woman had premonitions accompanied by trepidation that wouldn't go away until what she dreamed had come to pass. Women would come to her with their dreams and all manner of troubles, while the men treated her with a modicum of respect, but their wariness bordered on suspicion for all things that they did not understand.

Kaede had learned from an early age that to be a priestess meant a life of sacrifice at the expense of her own happiness and her feelings would always be secondary to her duty.

In her dream, the old woman was swallowed by a smoky, primordial darkness until she stumbled on a glistening cocoon caught in a spider's web. The closer she got the more she could make out the distinct weeping of a child, and her natural instincts warred with her heroic desires. her hand hovered briefly but before she could make any attempts to help the poor, frightened thing, the silky thread suddenly erupted in bright blue flames, and the old women shot awake as a searing pain caused her to cry out to the gods.

The strongholds walls bore down on her like an old familiar friend and some of her discomfort eased. Groaning ever so slightly, she hefted herself up the wooden ladder that would bring her to her favorite place to get away from the bustle of village life where she could meditate without someone barging in on her at all hours demanding her time and attention.

"Ho, woman. What do you think you're doing up here?" It was one of the soldiers from the newly trained cadets, who glared down at her, before he staggered towards her and she caught a whiff of rum on his breath. Kaede tusked disapprovingly as she shook her head, it was harder and harder to find reliable men these days.

"The hell do you think you're looking at me like that, you old witch!" The soldier spat, nearly missing her foot. Kaede took that moment to pull her hood from her robe, as the young man's face paled and he cursed softly.

"Lady Priestess! I-…" The young soldiers face drained of all color, as Kaede's brow crinkled and she sighed to the heavens.

"Enough, get out of here you scoundrel. Did our forefathers risk their lives for you to throw it all away? " Kaede cut in coldly, as she remembered the seasons where sleep was a luxury, and when the dreadful sound of the clamoring bells was as commonplace as the rising sun.

The old woman watched with little satisfaction as the young soldier, stiffly nodded, and clumsily made his way down the stronghold's walls.

"Those young fools will be the death of us, Goddess please preserve us and keep us from destruction. We cannot afford to fall asleep in the midst of this dreadful hour." Kaede fervently prayed, as she tried to collect her peace. She was no longer in the mood to meditate and decipher her dreams, and she turned to follow the foolish soldier, but something brushed against her awareness causing her to still.

A chill of foreboding caused her to hobble over to the crudely propped up telescope, as she leaned over the best she could. Kaede scoped out the clear night sky and frantically scanned the horizon. The old woman sighed in relief when no wretched devil or blood thirsty ghoul appeared up in view, but just as she was about to pull back she caught the first glimpse of an unmistakable shadowy figure near the southern region of the forest edge approaching swiftly on horseback.

"By the gods, what manner of evil approaches at this hour?" Kaede groaned, as a tremor shot through her arm and caused the instrument to slip precariously in her hands. Her first instinct was to dive for the bells, to warn the village of an impending attack but suddenly her focus dramatically came into sharp view, and she could see clearly a man and a woman, both deceptively human.

Kaede strained her good eye as a fluttering feeling caused her heart to start, and she swore by the gods that moonlight shone like a bright beacon on the pair, casting the woman in an other worldly glow. She could make out a shock of wild dark hair, distinguishable priestess robes, and a painfully familiar face, not unlike those ivory statues of the saints.

"What on earth?" The old woman murmured to herself, as she heard a small still voice urging her to open the gates, carried by an errant breeze.

"Do my eyes deceive me? Surely this old woman has not gone mad?" Kaede, pulled the telescope away, as she began trembling all over like something hollow and flimsy.

The old woman felt her intuition leap in the pit of her stomach and filled the gaps of her rational mind.

"It can't be. Our lady has returned to us, by the gods." Kaede raised her face to the heavens, as a choked sound escaped from her lips, and she realized that she was laughing with tears burning down her cheeks. It was a wholesome and joyful sound that made her gasp in between breaths. Her mind raced between prophecies forged in mythology, and dreams of saviors who would come and take away her burdens and for the first time in ages, the old woman felt hope as delicate as a new born babe.

Trembling, Kaede made her way towards rusted pulley, deeply compelled that she had just encountered something other worldly.

* * *

Miroku rode through the wilderness like a man possessed. The woman was slumped over like a straw dummy in his lap, and he gathered the reigns with one hand, while applying pressure to her abdomen. He was many things, but the young monk was no murderer. His early upbringing had taught him to show mercy to strangers and to never prey on the weak.

"Don't you die on me, woman." Miroku muttered under his breath, he knew that while there was blood on his hands at least on the other side of this was his freedom. He was making his way back to camp, where he would deliver the girl to his lord, and he would get what was promised to him in exchange.

If he kept her alive, his reward would be double than what he was promised, and Miroku was never one to pass up on a bargain. His lip curled in distaste when he thought about the wretched Lord, who had given him his orders and sent him on a wild goose chase to find a stone that could grant a man anything that he desired.

Miroku knew that he was a cursed man, and where he should've felt some modicum of shame over his actions and bitterness, he only felt the cold pit in his stomach where his rage once lived. He was simply doing what any other man would do if he were in his place

Miroku took a moment to caress the jewel perched safely in the front of his robe, comforted by its sturdy weight. The young monk's scowl softened into a frown as he fought of the nasty feeling of foreboding causing the hairs on his forearms to rise, as he recalled too many accounts of power-hungry men who trifled with the wrong things and upset the natural order.

Mist wet their lungs, with the smell of enchanted wood as they raced past boulders balanced like the heads of statues and maneuvered through purple coned spruce and rhododendrons as big as trees. This land was as familiar to him as an old friend.

This was the land of his father. He felt his blood come alive as he raced through the memories that were clamoring for his attention. Miroku could remember the news of the war reaching his father's humble monastery. His father had been enlisted to fight for a foolish cause, and even now, Miroku could remember his fathers back as he walked into an uncertain future.

In the midst of the wilderness, Miroku finally understood those unspoken things that his father could never muster to say out loud. He understood duty, and sacrifices that could not be washed clean or scrubbed away in the river. Miroku understood generational curses, and how such a thing could make mockeries of men.

He had no home now, there would be no homecomings here. _Father if only you could see me now_. Miroku thought as his eyes shone bright with a feverish glow.

Miroku's lips thinned as he refocused his attention on the sound of his horses' hooves beating into the ground. Every so often Kagome would cry out for a someone, and Miroku could not quite make out the rough syllables. He glanced down at her quickly and winced at the grayish tint to her skin.

 _She's not going to make it back to camp, damn._ He made a snap decision, as he sighed at his own weakness and brought his horse to a halt. Miroku pulled a frayed map and squinted at the roughly drawn approximations.

He reached back in his memory where he recalled a healer from his childhood, who would frequent the monasteries during the harsh winter seasons. Miroku hoped for the young woman's sake that the old witch was still alive. He gripped the reigns in one hand while keeping a steady hand on the priestess but before he could nudge his horse, pain shot up his left arm and tiny sparks of light exploded behind his eyelids, throwing him off balance and he landed hard on his shoulder.

Miroku grunted in pain and slowly gathered his bearings as the awful smell of decay mixed with the rotting earth caused his gut to clench as he looked down at his hand in horror. He had lost his rosary in the fall, which had served to bind the rough bandages, and now he could see as clear as day the gaping black hole punched in the middle of his mottled palm as a super natural gale swept up, causing his horse to startle and run off into the thick foliage with his cargo dangled precariously on the saddle.

Miroku gritted his teeth and closed his fist, as a hissing sound issued from the fissure and he grasped around in the dirt for his rosary. Relief flooded in his chest when he found the prayer beads and hastily fixed the bandages, before wounding the beads securely in place.

"Damn you." Miroku cursed himself softly, ashamed at his own weakening body, and he knew that it would only get worse. Such was the nature of his curse. Only for a fraction of a second did he feel an invisible thread of fate closing in on him, and he knew without a doubt that he was running out of time. The young monk furiously swiped away at the bead of blood that trickled from his nose, as he went after his horse and the woman.

He tracked his horse who was grazing by a nearby stream and before he mounted the beast, he checked on the priestess and raised his hand to her mouth, and sighed when he could feel her warm breath on the back of his palm.

Miroku clenched the reigns until his knuckles turned white, and he refused to dwell on old things or to feel sorry for himself. He had already vowed that he would never become a victim to his peculiar circumstance.

To the healer we go." He said with false cheer, squeezing the back of his reins. His horse lurched into a steady gallop as he wondered briefly if he was making the right decision.

"Ho." Miroku muttered to his horse, as yanked the bit of his steed. In the distance, he could make out a stone wall, and he squinted in suspicion. He could see from his vantage point that the gates were uncannily lowered, and his jaw clenched in reflex.

Miroku rode into the village, and he wasn't surprised when a circle of men surrounded him, with an old woman headed at the center. He kept one hand on the girl, as he raised his hand to signal that he meant no harm.

"Peace, brothers. I am just a humble monk, in need of dire medical attention for my charge." Miroku tried his diplomatic approach, as his eyes roved over each worn, wrinkled face and felt their hatred mingled in with their fear until his eyes landed on a familiar face, hardened with age.

"Halt, state your business monk." A middle-aged man, who had the bearings of a farmer addressed him, and the men began to whisper amongst themselves and an internal conflict broke out.

"Where do I know that mug from?" He heard one voice quip up, and Miroku felt his heart start in his chest.

"Look at the grade of that horse, I reckon that's one of Kagewaki's goons." At the mention of the human lord's name, Miroku's back stiffened and he knew that he would have to play dirty if he wanted to get what he wanted. Before he could clear his throat, someone had picked up a rock, and chucked it at him with alarming accuracy.

Miroku's reflexes kicked in, and he tried to defend himself he hissed as the rock connected with his shoulder.

"You're making a mistake." Miroku gritted between clenched teeth, as the men begin cursing, and goading each other on. Someone took it upon themselves to chuck another rock, and this time the monk narrowly dodged it as he tried to appeal to reason. "Please, just help the girl!"

"Hasn't that Kagewaki bastard done enough?" A young boy with startling red hair, stared him down with equally shocking green eyes. But the men begin to grunt in agreement, as another voice quipped up.

"That wretch has taken half of our supply of grain and has left us defenseless in these trying times, My family is on the threat of starvation, and he has done nothing but demand more and more for his armies. Where is the justice?" Another angry voice joined in.

Miroku's head begin to pound, as he gingerly wiped the side of his mouth, where the red headed brat had knocked him good. Slowly he made eye contact with the old woman again, she stared in shock as a thrill of recognition caused the monk to smile tightly.

"Peace, men." Kaede said slowly, as she held up her hand and the murmurings slowly died down. She did not have time to tell the villages of the good news for fear of their reactions. Kaede decided to let the miracle reveal itself, and she suppressed her pleasure as she stepped closer to the monk.

"Your grievances are not with this man, and I will not stand by and watch an innocent man be stoned because of the actions of another." "Kaede stood stiffly before men, who ceased their speculative side conversation.

"Bull. He's as guilty as the whole lot of them, you know that, we all do."The red haired youth, snarled and Miroku eyed the strange boy, and finally felt a prickle of yoki. He wondered why it took him so long to notice that the brat was a demon, and he vaguely wondered what a demon was doing in the midst of a human village.

"That's enough Shippo, you will stand your ground young man. Now take this monk's horse to the stable, and you will escort him to his sleeping quarters for tonight."Kaede said sternly, and Miroku sighed with relief, as he began to slide off the horse, and he slowly pulled the woman he had risked his hide for and cradled her in his arms.

"By the gods…" Someone whispered, and Miroku felt brow twitch in irritation as a flurry of speculative whispers began anew, but his jaw slowly slackened as the men, began to kneel at his feet like lowly servants. Miroku looked to the old woman for an explanation as the spirited demon shot a panicked look to Kaede, who wore a strangely peaceful expression on her face.

"Well I'm glad that I've won you all over to reason, but please this is too much for a humble man like me." Miroku tried to joke lightly, whirling around as he heard a prayer go up in the distance, and he wondered what he had walked into.

"Lady Midoriko has returned to us!" An old man began to weep into his handkerchief, as another man broke out in prayer, joining the chorus of shouts.

Kaede beamed as some of the younger men looked to her for confirmation,and she nodded sagely.

A cry went out in the night, as Miroku was suddenly accosted on all sides, grimy hands tugged at the woman robes, someone snatched the sandals from her feet, and tugged on her hair.

"You must be mistaken!" Miroku began to panic, but he was quickly cut off, as the women and children slowly came pouring out of their huts once they realized that their village wasn't under attack.

"Stop, stop it all of you. Can't you see that she's in dire need of medical attention!" Miroku shouted, as he tried to back up.

"You lot, relieve the monk and bring her to my quarters. We will hold all celebrations until Our Lady is well again." Kaede interjected.

Miroku could only watch dumbly, as Kagome was plucked from his arms by another man. The men procured a makeshift bed from thin air, in which they gingerly placed the woman on, and followed the old woman back to her hut.

"What just happened?" Miroku asked himself, staring down at his empty hands as he smoothed a palm over his face before staring off at the retreating backs of the men, who seemed to be in jovial spirits.

* * *

Miroku sat resting against the wall, regarding an old frayed scroll on his lap, as he looked up impassively ever now and again.

Miroku had refused to leave the young priestess side, after she had been bought to Kaede's hut. The old woman was bent over the unconscious girl, muttering a spell that was foreign to him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he caught the old woman with a weepy expression, that Miroku could not even begin to decipher.

"I'll fix you up, good as new. Then you can see what we have done for ourselves, in your absence." Kaede murmured, and Miroku shifted uncomfortably knowing that the old woman wasn't talking to him. He had begun to get a bad feeling, and he wasn't quite sure how to break the news to the villagers that the young priestess wasn't here to stay.

"Thank you for what you did back there." Miroku offered gently. Kaede startled as if she had forgotten that someone else was in the room with her, and she averted her eyes as she finished up her handiwork.

"I didn't do it for you, young man. In a way, I should be thanking you. You have no idea what these men have experienced in these trying times. Some of them have lost all hope." Kaede sighed, as she placed a hand on the ghastly wound, and a warm blue light emitted from her palm, causing Kagome to startle, and lurch.

"Quick, help me hold her down. She has to remain still for the spell to bind." Kaede ordered, and Miroku leapt up and did as he was told.

Kaede gasped, as deadened black eyes flew open and seemed to pass through them.

"Inu'sha." Kagome fell forward and gripped Miroku's arms, leaning in so close that his heart involuntarily slammed in its cage as she fixed her gaze on him and before he could help her to lay down,she clutched the front of his robes and kissed the monk, before she slumped into his arms.

"Oh my, my spells have never had that effect on people before" Kaede remarked, once the shock wore of.

"What manner of magic is that." Miroku asked stiffly as he gathered his bearings and shifted uncomfortably and licked his lips despite himself.

"Old magic." Kaede said simply, as she gently wiped the sweat from the young woman's brow. "She's lucky that you brought her when you did, I'm afraid that if you waited a hour too late, I wouldn't be able to help. Now, how did you say she got these wounds?"

He was afraid that the old woman would ask too many questions, if she knew what was good for her, she would simply do what she was good at, and leave her curiosity at the door. Miroku's expression closed and for a moment he paused before answering.

"We were ambushed by bandits, I was too far away to get to her before one of them struck her with a deadly blow. She hit her head, and has lost consciousness after that. I fear that she may have lost some of her memories." Miroku lied easily between his teeth.

Kaede raised an imperceptive brow, but chose not to remark on the young monks tale.

"You're still the same adventurous brat that you always were."

"You remember?"

"How could I ever forget? You were a rambunctious young boy, I don't know how your father managed to keep you still. Your father was a very good man." Kaede's smile faded as she remembered the tragedy that followed, and the small little boy, who was terrified and didn't know what was happening.

A heavy expression aged the young priest as he tweaked a set of prayer beads out of habit.

"That's all in the past now. But listen, I appreciate all of your help, but there's something that you need to know."

"Whatever it is, it can wait till morning. I'm afraid that spell pulled more from me that I thought." Kaede felt her joints crack in protest, as she stood up to retire.

"She's a fighter, and I know after a couple days of rest, she'll be up and running." Kaede nodded to herself, as she busied herself with cleaning up, and she began to hum.

Miroku sighed, and fought internally with himself, before he settled on the truth.

"No, you need to listen to me, and hear me clearly. That woman is not your Lady Midoriko. She's not whoever you think she is and we'll be on our way out as soon as she's well enough to travel."

"I always knew that you had a loose tongue, but I never took you for a liar." Kaede's voice hardened and she stood between the cot and the monk, with her arms crossed over her chest and a stern expression set on her countenance.

Miroku groaned internally as he tried to gather his patience and his eyes flitted about the room and he seemed to debate something his mind.

"Forgive me Lady Kaede, you've been nothing but kind to me and I believe that I've spoken out of turn." Miroku bowed stiffly, he would retreat for now. In his rage, he let his mouth run and get the best of him."Thank you for your help but don't say I didn't warn you."

Kaede flinched, as he picked up his scrolls and made his way out of the hut and bid her good night.

She looked back down at the cot and admired her handiwork, before she studied the young woman's peaceful countenance and frowned.

* * *

When he was alone, his amicable mask slipped away and he felt an old rage rivaling his excitement as he strode through the compound, he was not surprised when he was met with soldiers at every turn.

This was Kagewaki's territory, and Miroku bought a hand to his chin where he was sure a bruise was forming as he remembered how he was almost stoned on the spot for the mans misdeeds. He scowled blackly and cursed the day that his descendants had ever met the wretch.

The young monk paused at a bridge, as he took in the quiet beauty around him, and he reached the edge of the forest. Miroku reached down in the front of his robes and slowly procured his prize as he stared in rapt fascination at the clear stone that would buy him his freedom. His jaw slackened when right before his eyes, its coloring churned, changing and deepening into a murky brown. A faint voiced tickled at the back of his conscience and he whirled around, in fear that someone had followed him, but the monk was completely alone.

Miroku chalked it up to the events that unfolded for the day, as he sighed and found a sturdy tree to lean against so he could meditate.

But a slight prickle caused him to tense as he stood to his full height, he had spent enough time in the wilderness to recognize that feeling and he knew that trouble was near and approaching, swiftly.

"Show yourself!" He commanded, and something putrid slithered from the bush. He raised an arm to his nose to block out the smell of decay, as a serpent-like demon rose on its belly and hissed menacingly.

"I sssense the ssshiki jewel, give it to me and I'll let you live." The demon ordered in a gravely voice, and Miroku he gritted his teeth, grimacing.

Miroku's mind went cold, as red eyes glinted with hunger and malice, and the demon lunged for him as he narrowly dodged and used his staff to guard against the serpents tail, that tried to trap him in its grasp. Miroku reached for his ofuda, but came up against emptiness and he cursed as he realized that he must've left his charms at the old woman's hut. The demon struck again, this time knocking his staff from his hands as he staggered backwards.

"What would you want with such a thing?" Miroku asked, trying to buy some time, as he slowly edged towards his staff that was a couple feet away from him.

The demon lunged, aiming for his head and he spun around running towards his only weapon buried in the dirt, with its hot breath hot on his trail. Miroku yanked his staff from the ground, and whirled, catching the beast off guard as it clamped down on metal, trying to dislodge the monks only defense.

Suddenly, something shot from the darkness, and pierced through the demons skull, who gave a surprised screech, before succumbing to its untimely demise.

Miroku inhaled sharply, and slowly gathered his bearings.

He winced at the pain that shot up his arm, but schooled his features as a shadowy figure weaved in and out of the darkness,breaking through the bushes and revealing herself, and Miroku tensed, getting ready to face his new adversary but a the familiar, although unwelcomed face greeted him. The monk released a breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"Yo. I thought you needed some help, you looked like you were struggling, " The woman coolly greeted him, as she gingerly plucked the metal hair clip from the demons skull, and grimaced at the ruined ornament before throwing it away, "but you owe me a new ornament, monk."

"Kagura." Miroku said coldly, "How long have you been following me?"

"When you say it like that, you make me sound like a creep. But you know the business we're in, his orders not mine." She paused, and took in his feverish eyes, and disheveled appearance as she sniffed lightly at wrinkled her nose at the smell of sickness and rot clinging to him like a second skin. "You look like hell monk, and you could use a bath."

But Miroku didn't take the bait, his stony expression hardened, and she flashed a small smile. Slowly her expression congealed like ice and she scanned the perimeter of the field, and made a small sound of disapproval.

"Is the girl still alive?" She asked, cutting to the chase.

"Yes." Miroku replied thinly.

"Well, aren't you a good fellow. You almost make me wish I had a heart." Kagura snorted, as she didn't bother to hide her contempt."You're late, Kagewaki wants you back at the fortress by tomorrow eve."

Her piercing ruby red eyes danced with open amusement, and he clenched his jaw and looked away.

"I can't leave tomorrow. The girl, she's alive, but something has come up." At the mention of Kagewaki's name his head began to pound in earnest and he just wanted the demoness to go away. Miroku quickly told her about the new developments, and Kagura rolled her eyes as she began to study her perfectly manicured nails.

"What are those moronic humans on about anyway? And why are you telling me this?" Kagura asked impatiently.

" You don't understand human religion or the significance of Midoriko, do you? Kagura, the jewel was inside the woman's body and in the legends they said that it would be so. "

"Okay...and?" Kagura crossed her arms over her chest as Miroku hastily unfurled his scrolls.

"Look." Miroku said, trying to suppress his own excitement, while Kagura raised a sculpted brow.

"Am I supposed to read that chicken scratch?" Kagura sniffed lightly.

"I believe that we're dealing with a direct descent of Midoriko, and this woman might be the reincarnation of the priestess of legend."

"Ugh, spare the history lesson for someone who cares. You're boring me monk, and I couldn't care less if the wench was a reincarnation of the Buddha. Let the fools have their day, but you know what must be done so just do it." Kagura stretched languidly, as Miroku sighed in defeat.

Behind them a pair of soldiers choose that time to parole the edge of the territory and Kagura tensed as Miroku acted on his first instinct.

He grabbed the front of the demoness robes and kissed her, taking liberty to dart his tongue to get a taste of her.

"Look at that lecherous monk, it's a shame we couldn't get so lucky tonight." The paroling soldiers joked, as they passed the bridge and diapered into into the foggy night. When they were gone, Kagura had the good grace to look scandalized as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and she cocked her fist and punched him so hard that he momentarily saw stars.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, lech!" She hissed, as he blinked until his vision steadied and wiped the blood his nose and tried in vain not to crack a smile.

"Saving our hide. Kagura you're presence alone would cause a uproar. I did what any rational man would do." Miroku said weakly.

"Save the bull for another day, monk. If you ever try that again, you'll lose a lot more than a little blood. I'll let him know, but you'll better watch your back from here on out." She said cryptically, as she reached in her sleeve for a feather and charged it with her yoki,until it grew ten times in size, and she hopped on her feathery ride.

"Kagura wait!" He had on more thing on his mind. She paused, and frowned down at him from her perch.

"How is he?" Miroku hoped that he didn't sound too desperate, but Kagura rose a sharp brow, searching her memory for what he could possibly be going on about now, before a knowing smile curved her lips.

"That old drunk? Hmph, he's fine as long as you keep up your end of the bargain, monk."


End file.
